Abstract
The use of Unmanned Arial Vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry is a valuable tool to enhance our understanding of wetlands. Accurate planning derived from this technological advancement allows for more effective management and conservation of wetland areas. This paper presents results of a study that aimed at investigating the use of UAV photogrammetry as a tool to enhance the assessment of wetland ecosystems. The UAV images were collected during a single flight within 2½ hours over a 100 ha area at the Kameelzynkraal farm, Gauteng Province, South Africa. An AKS Y-6 MKII multi-rotor UAV and a digital camera on a motion compensated gimbal mount were utilised for the survey. Twenty ground control points (GCPs) were surveyed using a Trimble GPS to achieve geometrical precision and georeferencing accuracy. Structure-from-Motion (SfM) computer vision techniques were used to derive ultra-high resolution point clouds, orthophotos and 3D models from the multi-view photos. The geometric accuracy of the data based on the 20 GCP’s were 0.018 m for the overall, 0.0025 m for the vertical root mean squared error (RMSE) and an over all root mean square reprojection error of 0.18 pixel. The UAV products were then edited and subsequently analysed, interpreted and key attributes extracted using a selection of tools/ software applications to enhance the wetland assessment. The results exceeded our expectations and provided a valuable and accurate enhancement to the wetland delineation, classification and health assessment which even with detailed field studies would have been difficult to achieve.
Highlights
The understanding of aquatic ecosystems such as wetlands requires that they be examined and understood from an wide range of perspectives for example their interface between terrestrial and aquatic environments (Ellery et al, 2009)
This paper presents results of a study aimed at investigating the use of Unmanned Arial Vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry as a tool to enhance the assessment of wetland ecosystems
The results suggest that UAV photogrammetry can significantly enhance wetland delineation and classification and be a valuable contribution to WET-Health assessment
Summary
The understanding of aquatic ecosystems such as wetlands requires that they be examined and understood from an wide range of perspectives for example their interface between terrestrial and aquatic environments (Ellery et al, 2009). Remote sensing provides critical data to delineate, explain and predict changes in wetland ecosystems especially where a high spatial resolution is needed (Zweig et al, 2015). Progress in computer vision and computing power has led to the advancement of UAV photogrammetry This includes key advancements such as operational solutions for 3D data acquisition based on structure-from-motion photogrammetry, called structure-from-motion-multi-view stereo (James and Robson 2012, Westoby et al, 2012, Fonstad et al, 2013). This includes key advancements such as operational solutions for 3D data acquisition based on structure-from-motion photogrammetry, called structure-from-motion-multi-view stereo (James and Robson 2012, Westoby et al, 2012, Fonstad et al, 2013). James and Robson (2012) studied the straight forward reconstruction of 3D surfaces and topography with a camera and achieved centimeter-level accuracy
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