%0 Journal Article
%T Review of Effective Vegetation Mapping  Using the UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) Method
%A Korehisa Kaneko
%A Seiich Nohara
%J Journal of Geographic Information System
%P 733-742
%@ 2151-1969
%D 2014
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/jgis.2014.66060
%X We tried more precise mapping of
vegetation using UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), as a new method of
creating vegetation maps, and we objected to be clearly the efficient
mapping of vegetation using the UAV method by comparing vegetation maps created
by analysing aerial photographs taken by a UAV and an aircraft (manned flight).
The aerial photography using UAV was conducted in the Niida River estuary (the
secondary river flowing into Minamisoma City in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan).
The photography period was in August 2013. We analysed the aerial photographs
using ArcGis 9 (Esri Japan Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). The aerial photographs
of the main plant communities (</span><i><span style=\"font-size:12px;font-family:Verdana;\">Phragmites australis</span></i><span style=\"font-size:12px;font-family:Verdana;\">,&nbsp;</span><i><span style=\"font-size:12px;font-family:Verdana;\">Typha
domingensis</span></i><span style=\"font-size:12px;font-family:Verdana;\">, and&nbsp;</span><i><span style=\"font-size:12px;font-family:Verdana;\">Miscanthus sacchariflorus</span></i><span style=\"font-size:12px;font-family:Verdana;\">) taken by the UAV
could clearly discriminate each plant community at the 1/50 scale. Moreover, it
could clearly discriminate the shape of a plant at the 1/10 scale. We compared
the vegetation maps by analysing the aerial photos taken by a UAV (2013
shooting) and an aircraft (2011 shooting). As a result, the vegetation map
created by the UAV method could clearly discriminate community distributions.
We conclude that vegetation surveys using UAV are possible and are capable of a
highly precise community division in places where field reconnaissance is
difficult. The UAV method is effective and will contribute to the improvement
of research methods in the future; this method may reduce research costs
associated with a reduction in field survey days and man-power.
%K UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)
%K Vegetation Map
%K High Spatial Resolution
%K Plant Community
%K Plant Species
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=52721