Using historical photography to monitor and assess threats over time

Don Evans

Treesearch

Using historical photography to monitor and assess threats over time

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Don Evans

Year:

2010

Type:

General Technical Report

Station:

Pacific Northwest Research Station

Source:

In: Pye, John M.; Rauscher, H. Michael; Sands, Yasmeen; Lee, Danny C.; Beatty, Jerome S., tech. eds. 2010. Advances in threat assessment and their application to forest and rangeland management. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-802. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest and Southern Research Stations: 87-92

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Download (PDF 375 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/37023.pdf

Abstract

Analysis of aerial photography is perhaps the best way to assess changes in landcover conditions. In the United States, most national forests have repeat photography on approximately a 10-year cycle. Analysis of this rich photo record can reveal changes in insect damage, fuels buildup, unmanaged off-highway vehicle use, loss of open space, and other land-cover conditions. Current technologies now allow Forest Service employees to input photos into a geographic information system (GIS) accurately and easily, and important changes can be documented, analyzed, and evaluated within the GIS. This analysis discusses selected photo characteristics, available software solutions, and techniques for orthocorrection of historical photos. It also discusses two cases in which historical imagery was used to document selected changing threat levels over time.

Parent Publication

Advances in threat assessment and their application to forest and rangeland management—Volume 1 and Volume 2.

Keywords

Aerial photography, geographic information systems, loss of open space, orthocorrection software, pseudocamera reports, unmanaged recreation

Citation

Evans, Don. 2010. Using historical photography to monitor and assess threats over time. In: Pye, John M.; Rauscher, H. Michael; Sands, Yasmeen; Lee, Danny C.; Beatty, Jerome S., tech. eds. 2010. Advances in threat assessment and their application to forest and rangeland management. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-802. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest and Southern Research Stations: 87-92.