Species discrimination from a hyperspectral perspective

The advent of hyperspectral and high spatial resolution sensors offers new opportunities in this respect to improve the collection of information on species composition.

Abstract

Sustainable management of natural ecosystems requires comprehensive information on species distribution and composition. Remote sensing has the potential to improve the collection of information on species composition. Compared to other vegetation attributes plant species so far remained a difficult attribute to detect with remote sensing. Broad band remote sensing sensors, which have been used extensively for mapping of plant communities, are however not sufficiently sensitive to allow discrimination of individual plant species. The advent of hyperspectral and high spatial resolution sensors offers new opportunities in this respect