@article{4901e6badeaa44d6976668400bcc4f23,
title = "Mapping tundra ecosystem plant functional type cover, height, and aboveground biomass in Alaska and northwest Canada using unmanned aerial vehicles",
abstract = "Arctic vegetation communities are rapidly changing with climate warming, which impacts wildlife, carbon cycling, and climate feedbacks. Accurately monitoring vegetation change is thus crucial, but scale mismatches between field and satellite-based monitoring cause challenges. Remote sensing from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has emerged as a bridge between field data and satellite-based mapping. We assessed the viability of using high-resolution UAV imagery and UAV-derived Structure from Motion to predict cover, height, and aboveground biomass (henceforth biomass) of Arctic plant functional types (PFTs) across a range of vegetation community types. We classified imagery by PFT, estimated cover and height, and modeled biomass from UAV-derived volume estimates. Predicted values were compared to field estimates to assess results. Cover was estimated with a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 6.29%–14.2%, and height was estimated with an RMSE of 3.29–10.5 cm depending on the PFT. Total aboveground biomass was predicted with an RMSE of 220.5 g m−2, and per-PFT RMSE ranged from 17.14 to 164.3 g m−2. Deciduous and evergreen shrub biomass was predicted most accurately, followed by lichen, graminoid, and forb biomass. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of using UAVs to map PFT biomass, which provides a link towards improved mapping of PFTs across large areas using earth observation satellite imagery.",
keywords = "Arctic tundra, drones, structure from motion, UAV, vegetation mapping",
author = "Orndahl, {Kathleen M.} and Ehlers, {Libby P.W.} and Herriges, {Jim D.} and Pernick, {Rachel E.} and Mark Hebblewhite and Goetz, {Scott J.}",
note = "Funding Information: The authors extend heartfelt thanks to Mike Suitor (Yukon Government), Dave Tavares (Parks Canada), and Joe Costa (Parks Canada) for logistical support throughout the project. For their support of our research, the authors extend thanks to Yukon-Charley Rivers National Park (YUCH-2018SCI-0004), Yukon Government (19–64S&E), Ivvavik National Park (IVV-2019–32638), the Wildlife Management Advisory Council — North Slope, the Tetlin Renewable Resource Council, the Gwich{\textquoteright}in Renewable Resources Board, and the Aklavik Hunters and Trappers Committee. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operation was conducted by FAA-certified SUAS operators and was permitted in Canada under a Special Flight Operations Certificate (920010). Field work was a collaborative effort supported by Craig Townsend, Jo{\"e}l Poti{\'e}, Elis Juh-lin, Abby Rutrough, Aerin Jacob, Kayla Arey, Laurence Carter, Martin Kienzler, Sonny Parker, Hayleigh Conway, and Andrew Davies. The authors thank them for their assistance in collecting high-quality data that made this research possible. Additional thanks are extended to Gabrielle Coulombe and Andrew Davies for help in the laborious task of processing field biomass harvest data, to Gabrielle Coulombe for assistance with data entry, to Matt Macander and Eric Palm for expert advice on UAV operations and processing, and to Patrick Burns, Logan Berner, Chris Doughty, and Michelle Mack for providing valuable feedback on various aspects of the research approach. Funding Information: The authors extend heartfelt thanks to Mike Suitor (Yukon Government), Dave Tavares (Parks Canada), and Joe Costa (Parks Canada) for logistical support throughout the project. For their support of our research, the authors extend thanks to Yukon-Charley Rivers National Park (YUCH-2018SCI-0004), Yukon Government (19–64S&E), Ivvavik National Park (IVV-2019–32638), the Wildlife Management Advisory Council—— North Slope, the Tetlin Renewable Resource Council, the Gwich{\textquoteright}in Renewable Resources Board, and the Aklavik Hunters and Trappers Committee. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operation was conducted by FAA-certified SUAS operators and was permitted in Canada under a Special Flight Operations Certificate (920010). Field work was a collaborative effort supported by Craig Townsend, Jo{\"e}l Poti{\'e}, Elis Juhlin, Abby Rutrough, Aerin Jacob, Kayla Arey, Laurence Carter, Martin Kienzler, Sonny Parker, Hayleigh Conway, and Andrew Davies. The authors thank them for their assistance in collecting high-quality data that made this research possible. Additional thanks are extended to Gabrielle Coulombe and Andrew Davies for help in the laborious task of processing field biomass harvest data, to Gabrielle Coulombe for assistance with data entry, to Matt Macander and Eric Palm for expert advice on UAV operations and processing, and to Patrick Burns, Logan Berner, Chris Doughty, and Michelle Mack for This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. 1938054 (to KMO), NASA ABoVE grants NNX17AE44 G and 80NSSC19M0112 (to SJG), the Bureau of Land Management, the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, McIntire Stennis project 1021603 (to MH), and the Navigating the New Arctic NSF grant #2127272 (to MH). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The Author(s).",
year = "2022",
month = apr,
day = "12",
doi = "10.1139/as-2021-0044",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "8",
pages = "1165--1180",
journal = "Arctic Science",
issn = "2368-7460",
publisher = "Canadian Science Publishing (Ottawa, Canada)",
number = "4",
}