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  1. Using historical photography to monitor and assess threats over time

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    Author(s): Don Evans
    Date: 2010
    Source: In: Pye, John M.; Rauscher, H. Michael; Sands, Yasmeen; Lee, Danny C.; Beatty, Jerome S., tech. eds. 2010. Advances in threat assessment and their application to forest and rangeland management. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-802. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest and Southern Research Stations: 87-92
    Publication Series: General Technical Report (GTR)
    Station: Pacific Northwest Research Station
    PDF: Download Publication  (365.83 KB)
    Note: This article is part of a larger document. View the larger document

    Description

    Analysis of aerial photography is perhaps the best way to assess changes in landcover conditions. In the United States, most national forests have repeat photography on approximately a 10-year cycle. Analysis of this rich photo record can reveal changes in insect damage, fuels buildup, unmanaged off-highway vehicle use, loss of open space, and other land-cover conditions. Current technologies now allow Forest Service employees to input photos into a geographic information system (GIS) accurately and easily, and important changes can be documented, analyzed, and evaluated within the GIS. This analysis discusses selected photo characteristics, available software solutions, and techniques for orthocorrection of historical photos. It also discusses two cases in which historical imagery was used to document selected changing threat levels over time.

    Publication Notes

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    • This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.

    Citation

    Evans, Don. 2010. Using historical photography to monitor and assess threats over time. In: Pye, John M.; Rauscher, H. Michael; Sands, Yasmeen; Lee, Danny C.; Beatty, Jerome S., tech. eds. 2010. Advances in threat assessment and their application to forest and rangeland management. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-802. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest and Southern Research Stations: 87-92.

    Keywords

    Aerial photography, geographic information systems, loss of open space, orthocorrection software, pseudocamera reports, unmanaged recreation.

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