Microdensitometry to Identify Plant Communities and Components on Color Infrared Aerial Photos

Abstract

Image density differences in color infrared aerial photos can be used to discriminate individual shrub and tree species of a pinyon pine-juniper plant community. In addition, image density was used successfully to identify six general plant communities: ponderosa pine, spruce-fir, aspen, big sagebrush, native grasslands, and seeded grasslands. However, different sites and cultural treatments within native grasslands and ponderosa pine forest could not be so easily discriminated, even though visual differences were apparent in the photos.