QUADROCOPTER PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR FOREST REGENERATION MONITORING

Abstract

Introduction. Remote sensing in forestry is a highly efficient means of control and monitoring. Remote sensing is very important for difficult-to-reach forest areas. One of prospective methods of remote sensing considered in the paper is the application of drones. Goals and objec-tives. The work is aimed at the definition of possibilities and methods of drone application in forestry in order to follow forest regeneration processes in difficult-to-reach forest areas. Materials and methods. The research is carried out on a plot of pine forest of vaccinium (A2) and myr-tillus (A3) types, severely damaged in the ground fire of 2010 and cut down three years later. The working procedure included the comparison of results obtained from the ground and remote parameter definition of pine forest regeneration on the burnt area 6 years after the forest fire. The shots were taken using X3 FC350 camera installed on the «Inspire» quadrocopter produced by a Chinese company Dajiang Innovation Technology Co. (DJI). Results. The quality of filming made from 50-70 meters height in terms of its detailed elaboration stands well above the satellite survey. In summer time the shots taken by drones allow carrying out inventory of large coppice mainly growing in the clearings. Coniferous coppice can be identified in clumps or after the fall of leaves. Forest plantations (artificial planting) feature a more detailed inventory, as compared to the areas with natural forest regeneration in summer time due to their circular line pattern within visible firelines. Conclusions. The application of small drones equipped even with non-professional cameras for the survey of forest regeneration processes in difficult-to-reach forest areas is well justified. In order to obtain a more detailed inventory of the coniferous under-growth it is necessary to carry out a survey in the conditions of a slight snow cover. In order to estimate the efficiency of natural forest regeneration is it recommended to calculate the indica-tor of a «guaranteed minimum» of the quantity of undergrowth using the following indicators: «frequency» and «plot size».