Session Number
Project ID: ENVR 01
Advisor(s)
Dr. Chuck Cannon, Morton Arboretum
Discipline
Environmental Science
Start Date
20-4-2022 9:30 AM
End Date
20-4-2022 9:45 AM
Abstract
The Shinnery Oak (Quercus havardii) is a low clonal deciduous shrub native to the Great Plains of North America. Little research has been done on the disappearing specie’s ecology as the Shinnery Oak undesirably dominates the vegetation growing in its environment. Nonetheless, the species’ restoration is vital to biodiversity, the well being of endangered species in the community, and livestock production. We used the DJI Phantom 4 drone to photograph the study site set in Western Texas. Photos of the area were taken over three different time periods: June, January, and March, depicting three clones of varying size and shape. Three clones were analyzed to compare differences in canopy size, color, and height resulting from seasonal changes. The dense cloud, 3D model, and orthomosaic were created after alignment and optimization of the photos. The orthomosaic was used to analyze distances between motts, sizes, and shapes of motts through R packages. Furthermore, error points and point density were compared to assess the accuracy of each data set.
Analysis of the Shinnery Oak Shrub Using High Resolution Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Imagery
The Shinnery Oak (Quercus havardii) is a low clonal deciduous shrub native to the Great Plains of North America. Little research has been done on the disappearing specie’s ecology as the Shinnery Oak undesirably dominates the vegetation growing in its environment. Nonetheless, the species’ restoration is vital to biodiversity, the well being of endangered species in the community, and livestock production. We used the DJI Phantom 4 drone to photograph the study site set in Western Texas. Photos of the area were taken over three different time periods: June, January, and March, depicting three clones of varying size and shape. Three clones were analyzed to compare differences in canopy size, color, and height resulting from seasonal changes. The dense cloud, 3D model, and orthomosaic were created after alignment and optimization of the photos. The orthomosaic was used to analyze distances between motts, sizes, and shapes of motts through R packages. Furthermore, error points and point density were compared to assess the accuracy of each data set.