A Forest Vitality and Change Monitoring Tool Based on RapidEye Imagery

Forest damage and health problems can be identified, mapped, and better managed through the analysis of satellite imagery. However, a high degree of efficiency is achieved only if a workflow for preprocessing and analysis is mature enough for production and can be deployed in an operational processing environment. This letter shows a path for turning research into an operational tool for the purposes of forest delineation and disturbance monitoring using high-resolution RapidEye satellite imagery. The implemented workflow follows a modularized approach with separate modules for image registration, radiometric normalization, classification, and bitemporal analysis. The tool was developed for commercial service provision. It has successfully been deployed for the fourth year for German state forest customers. It makes use of python and python libraries, as well as algorithms of PCI Geomatica. The letter concludes with a case study showing the defoliation monitoring results of a Scots pine plantation area affected by a nun moth outbreak.