Can you explain a situation where you would choose airborne imagery over ground truthing?

In each of these examples below, would you use airborne imagery or a ground truthed survey? Explain why.





A) Rare plant survey


B) Plant health survey


C) Plant classification mapping


D) Wetland mapping

Can you explain a situation where you would choose airborne imagery over ground truthing?
A) Rare plant survey - ground


B) Plant health survey - airphoto


C) Plant classification mapping - airphoto


D) Wetland mapping - airphoto
Reply:Terminology is a bit fuzzy. Ground truthing is always used when utilizing remotely sensed or airborne data. It is a method for ensuring that your detection and classification methods are correct. Ground survey is what you would be using for example to do a Rare plant survey, when you establish a grid, or sample area and count the number of plants found then statistically apply to a larger area. You could use a ground survey for plant health as well, although a large area plant health survey can be done airborne with ground truthing.


So, you would almost never use airborne imagery alone, unless there is no access to the area surveyed (happens a lot in intelligence gathering). A ground truthing survey is required for sound scientific data.


A ground survey on the other hand is probably the only way to have a reliable rare plant survey.

anemone