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Research Project: Assessment and Mitigation of Disturbed Sagebrush-Steppe Ecosystems

Location: Northwest Watershed Research Center

Title: Global application of an unoccupied aerial vehicle photogrammetry protocol for predicting aboveground biomass in non-forest ecosystems

Author
item CUNLIFFE, ANDREW - University Of Exeter
item ANDERSON, KAREN - University Of Exeter
item BOSCHETTI, FABIO - University Of Exeter
item BRAZIER, RICHARD - University Of Exeter
item GRAHAM, HUGH - University Of Exeter
item MYERS-SMITH, ISLA - University Of Edinburgh
item ASTOR, THOMAS - University Of Kassel
item BOER, MATTHIAS - Western Sydney University
item CALVO, L - University Of Leon
item Clark, Pat
item CRAMER, MICHAEL - University Of Cape Town
item ENCINAS-LARA, MIGUEL - Sonora Institute Of Technology
item ESCARZAGA, STEPHEN - University Of Texas - El Paso
item FERNANDEZ-GUISURAGA, J - University Of Leon
item FISHER, A - University Of Queensland
item GDULOVA, KATERINA - Czech University Of Life Sciences Prague
item GILLESPIE, B - San Diego State University
item GRIEBEL, ANNE - Western Sydney University
item HANAN, NIALL - New Mexico State University
item HANGGITO, M - University Of Texas - El Paso
item HASELBERGER, STEFAN - University Of Vienna
item HAVRILLA, CAROLINE - Northern Arizona University
item Heilman, Philip - Phil
item JI, WENJIE - New Mexico State University
item KARL, JASON - University Of Idaho
item KIRCHHOFF, MARIO - University Of Trier
item SABINE, KRAUSHAAR - University Of Vienna
item LYONS, MITCHELL - University Of New South Wales
item MARZOLFF, IRENE - Goethe University
item MAURITZ, MARGUERITE - University Of Texas - El Paso
item MCINTIRE, CAMERON - University Of New Mexico
item METZEN, DANIEL - Western Sydney University
item MENDEZ-BARROSO, LUIS - Sonora Institute Of Technology
item POWER, SIMON - University Of Cape Town
item PROSEK, JIRI - Czech University Of Life Sciences Prague
item SANZ-ABLANEDO, ENOC - University Of Leon
item SAUER, KATHERINE - Sul Ross State University
item SCHULZE-BRUNINGHOFF, DAMIAN - University Of Kassel
item SIMOVA, PETRA - Czech University Of Life Sciences Prague
item SITCH, STEPHEN - University Of Exeter
item SMIT, JULIAN - University Of Cape Town
item STEELE, CAITI - New Mexico State University
item SUAREZ-SEOANE, SUSANA - University Of Oviedo
item VARGAS, SERGIO - University Of Texas - El Paso
item VILLARREAL, MIGUEL - Us Geological Survey (USGS)
item VISSER, FLEUR - University Of Worcester
item WACHENDORF, MICHAEL - University Of Kassel
item WIRNSBERGER, HANNES - University Of Vienna
item WOJCIKIEWICZ, ROBERT - New Mexico State University

Submitted to: Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/10/2021
Publication Date: 7/7/2021
Citation: Cunliffe, A., Anderson, K., Boschetti, F., Brazier, R.E., Graham, H.A., Myers-Smith, I., Astor, T., Boer, M.M., Calvo, L., Clark, P., Cramer, M.D., Encinas-Lara, M.S., Escarzaga, S.M., Fernandez-Guisuraga, J.M., Fisher, A.G., Gdulova, K., Gillespie, B., Griebel, A., Hanan, N.P., Hanggito, M.S., Haselberger, S., Havrilla, C., Heilman, P., Ji, W., Karl, J., Kirchhoff, M., Sabine, K., Lyons, M., Marzolff, I., Mauritz, M., Mcintire, C., Metzen, D., Mendez-Barroso, L., Power, S., Prosek, J., Sanz-Ablanedo, E., Sauer, K., Schulze-Bruninghoff, D., Simova, P., Sitch, S., Smit, J., Steele, C., Suarez-Seoane, S., Vargas, S., Villarreal, M., Visser, F., Wachendorf, M., Wirnsberger, H., Wojcikiewicz, R. 2021. Global application of an unoccupied aerial vehicle photogrammetry protocol for predicting aboveground biomass in non-forest ecosystems. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation. 8(1):57-71. https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.228.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.228

Interpretive Summary: Non-forested ecosystems are sensitive to climatic changes but poorly represented in global remotely-sensed biomass products. Relationships between canopy height inferred from drone photogrammetry and aboveground biomass (AGB) were tested throughout a global site network. Canopy height was found to be strongly predictive of AGB across a range of low-stature plant species, indicating that this photogrammetry approach is generalizable across growth forms and environmental settings. Standardized drone-based photogrammetry offers an inexpensive and accurate approach for monitoring over larger spatial extents than have been previously possible and is well suited for monitoring AGB in understudied and often vulnerable non-forest ecosystems across the globe.

Technical Abstract: Non-forest ecosystems, dominated by shrub and herbaceous plants, provide multiple ecosystem services linked with plant biomass including carbon sequestration and forage for grazing. These ecosystems are sensitive to climatic changes but are poorly represented in global remotely-sensed biomass products. Furthermore, in-situ biomass monitoring is prone to under sampling across time and space. Here we test relationships between canopy height inferred from drone photogrammetry and aboveground biomass (AGB) across a global site network. We found that canopy height strongly predicted AGB across a range of low-stature plant species, indicating that this approach is generalizable across growth forms and environmental settings. Mean canopy height was linearly related to AGB, contrary to most in situ size-biomass allometric functions. Biomass per-unit-of-height was similar within, but different between, plant functional types (PFTs), indicating that these relationships are often transferrable between species within PFTs. Our study demonstrates that standardized drone-based photogrammetry offers an inexpensive and accurate approach for monitoring over larger spatial extents than have been previously possible and is well suited for monitoring AGB in understudied and often vulnerable non-forest ecosystems across the globe.