SGER: Research of an Image Acquisition and Processing System for Three Dimensional Spatial Analysis of Vegetation

该项目利用摄影和图像分析软件的新发展来推进环境科学的实地研究。生态过程的动态以及扰动的影响通常通过植被的变化来衡量。传统的植被分析方法是劳动密集型的，速度慢，并且往往局限于小尺度的测量。当前的许多研究课题（如气候变化）需要对非常大的区域进行分析，尽管空间遥感提供了前所未有的信息，但缺乏对卫星图像进行大规模植被分析的验证。新墨西哥大学（University of new Mexico）的一个跨学科小组开发了一种新的基于地面的方法，该方法大大提高了科学家研究各种尺度的环境动力学的能力，并允许与卫星仪器的反射率测量相结合。新技术需要图像分析算法的研发和新的图像采集硬件的集成。由此产生的系统将在计算机工作站上提供近地面的立体图像采集和三维信息的详细分析。目前还无法从任何来源获得反射图像的三维信息，然而，这些信息可以改进物种识别和体积（生物量）的量化，而不仅仅是表面积。它代表了生态研究中图像分析技术的重大进步。一支高素质的调查小组将解决这个问题。影像分析和遥感的机构设施很好。与塞维利亚国家野生动物保护区为中心的长期生态研究项目的合作进一步加强了这项新的研究。

This project takes advantage of new developments in photography and image analysis software to advance field studies in environmental science. The dynamics of ecological processes as well as impacts from disturbance often are measured by changes in vegetation. Traditional methods of vegetation analysis are labor intensive, slow, and as a result, they often are confined to small-scale measurements. Many current research topics (i.e. climate change) require analysis over very large areas, and although remote sensing from space is providing unprecedented information, validation of satellite imagery with large-scale vegetation analysis is lacking. A new, ground-based methodology has been developed by an interdisciplinary group at the University of New Mexico that is significantly increasing the ability of scientists to study environmental dynamics across a range of scales and allow integration with reflectance measurements from satellite instruments. The new technology requires image analysis algorithm research and development and the integration of new image acquisition hardware. The resulting system will provide near ground level acquisition of stereo images and detailed analysis of three dimensional information on a computer workstation. Three dimensional information from reflectance imagery is currently not available from any source, yet this information can lead to improved species identification and quantification of volumes (biomass) instead of just surface areas. It represents a major advance in image analysis technology for ecological studies. A highly qualified team of investigators will address the problem. Institutional facilities for image analysis and remote sensing are excellent. The new research is further strengthened by association with the Long-Term Ecological Research project centered on the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge.