Digitally processed satellite data as a tool in detecting potential Australian plague locust outbreak areas

Abstract

This paper presents an investigation into the use of digital satellite data as a tool in identifying potential Australian plague locust ( Chortoicetes terminifera (Walker)) outbreak areas at an early stage in semi-arid areas of south west Queensland. The results show that standard processing techniques of the digital data allow areas of green vegetation to be discriminated from soil background information (a problem encountered in an earlier investigation using commercially produced false colour imagery of the same data), thus enabling the detection of potential outbreak areas. The results are discussed in relation to future applications of satellite data in the Australian Plague Locust Commission.