Use of consumer grade small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) for mapping storm damage in forested environments

Author

James Dewey Cox, Mississippi State UniversityFollow

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Lalk, Sarah

Committee Member

Dash, Padmanava

Committee Member

Haney, Christa

Date of Degree

5-13-2022

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Geoscience

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Department of Geosciences

Abstract

Storm damages to forested environments pose significant challenges to landowners, land managers, and conservationists alike. Damage scope and scale assessments can be difficult, costly, and time consuming with conventional pedestrian survey techniques. Consumer grade sUAS technology offers an efficient, cost-effective way to accurately assess storm damage in small to moderate sized survey areas (less than 10 km²). Data were collected over a 0.195 km² area of damaged timber within the Kisatchie National Forest in Central Louisiana using a DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone. Collected imagery was processed into an orthomosaic using Agisoft Metashape Professional with a resulting ground sampling distance of 2.58 cm per pixel. Combined X and Y ground distance accuracy r was calculated as 1.39230 meters and a combined horizontal error was calculated as 0.810455526 meters. From the generated orthomosaic, the total storm damage area was estimated as 2.68 Ha, or 6.63 ac based on digitized polygon area calculations.

Recommended Citation

Cox, James Dewey, "Use of consumer grade small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) for mapping storm damage in forested environments" (2022). Theses and Dissertations. 5508.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/5508