Discrimination of forest species by remote sensing in the national park "Smolenskoe Poozerie"

Forests cover about 40 percent of the Earth surface and they are very important for the ecosystems. For instance, forest land highly impacts carbon dynamics, provides habitats for organisms, conserves soil and water resources, and supports human demand for timber and recreation.

This study will discuss the method of determining the deciduous and coniferous tree species in forests by using Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) or drones for distinction of old-growth and second-growth forests. The key area of research is the national park in Smolensk region in the west of Russia, it is called «Smolenskoe Poozerie».The original forests (old-growth) in this area are Pine-Spruce and Oak-Linden forests but the main part were cut down for agriculture and to fuel both industry and farms. The second-growth tree species, such as Poplar-Birch forests, have a tendency to spread to disturbed habitats and replace native tree species.

This theme is relevant because it is one of the modern methods of distinction of old-growth and second-growth forests. Drones are able to cover a relatively large area in a single flight. They operate on user demand and deliver very high resolution images. They have a huge advantage of mapping in order to analyze and monitor forest ecosystems on a tree-level, instead of on a stand-level.