back for research and assessments.
“At the University of California, Berkeley, research was being con- ducted using a drone with an auto- mated clipper on it to take samples of a tree,” explains Henry. “On the other side of the world, England research- ers were looking for a type of fungus growing on the sycamore trees there. The drone flew up, clipped a piece of the tree, then landed. This could help tree care professionals find and treat diseases rather quickly.” Agriculture applications As technology advances, specialized sensors are entering the scene to pro- vide accurate and detailed information about tree health. “LiDAR technology has a lot of po- tential,” says Henry. “It’s a special sensor-based technology used to see through the forest’s canopy. LiDAR is used to create incredible colorized maps that show the trees in 3D. It can also show temperature differences and detect tree stress.” Another up-and-coming technology is known as normalized difference veg- etation index (NDVI.) This advanced remote sensing measures the health of present vegetation based on how the plants reflect light. Management plans Drones can provide a high-level com- munication tool for tree care specialists to use during consulting jobs. “The drone takes a series of photos and stitches them together,” says Brown. “Instead of assessing individual trees, drone imagery provides an averaging. From this, information gathered can be used to make informed decisions about applications such as fertilization and pesticides, for example.” Marketing Drone images and videos can be used to discuss tree care decisions with cli-
A drone platform collects seedlings data to support inventory work within the US Forest Service’s nursery in Coeur d'Alene, ID.
Although useful, some challenges can affect aerial tree inspections. For ex- ample, dense canopies may prevent the drone from taking up-close quality imagery. Also, high winds can blow the drone around, making it difficult for the operator to fly. Manufacturers are working to resolve this issue with sta- bilizing technology. “Sometimes the leaves on the trees shade the tree,” says Brown. “This af- fects the lighting on the interior of the canopy. With taking drone imagery, timing is everything.” Pruning and sampling Some of the larger commercial drones can be used to prune and maintain trees. Additionally, tree samples can be extracted by the drone and brought
that can be used to give clients compre- hensive insights and analysis.
Surveying and mapping Drone soware uses aerial imagery to stitch together a larger image, creating a map of a specific area. These maps can be used to detect power lines in dense forests, show historical and re- al-time changes of an area, and for tak- ing tree inventory. Tree inspections Tree inspections are possibly the most common application for drones. A drone can fly above the crown of the tree to inspect for diseases and pests. This also eliminates the risk of falls or injury from tree climbing and reduces the need for bucket trucks.
34 | ArborTIMES Spring 2024
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