Assessment of tree and urban vegetation condition for Surrey energy utility management

城市树木的管理，特别是种植在道路或公用走廊沿线的树木，与交通政策和公共安全息息相关，因为不健康和腐烂的树木对行人、驾车者、建筑物和电线都有潜在的危险。城市公用事业必须实施密集的植被维护和管理计划，而这些计划的有效性又必须由有关树木和植被位置、健康和活力的综合信息来提供。尽管以城市树木和清除入侵物种为代表的大量财政投资，但获取这类信息的机会很少。在本提案中，我们进行了一项研究计划，探索激光雷达和高光谱图像评估植被状况的潜力。在NSERC Engage和Engage +与萨里城市能源合作资助的先前研究的基础上，我们将应用自动化算法来定位、勾勒和测量不列颠哥伦比亚省萨里市的城市树木。我们还将检测和绘制萨里入侵植物物种的分布图。通过将这种方法应用于整个城市的植被，树木状况和入侵物种的空间格局将被绘制和检查。

The management of urban trees, particularly those planted along roadways or utility corridors, intersects with transportation policy and public safety, as unhealthy and decaying trees are potentially hazardous to pedestrians, motorists, buildings and electrical lines. City utilities must implement intensive vegetation maintenance and management plans, whose effectiveness, in turn, must be informed by comprehensive information on tree and vegetation location, health and vitality. Despite the considerable financial investment represented by urban trees and removal of invasive species access to this type of information is rare. In this proposal, we undertake a research program that explores LiDAR and hyperspectral imagery potential for assessing vegetation condition. Building on previous research funded through the NSERC Engage and Engage + grants in collaboration with Surrey City Energy, we will apply automated algorithms to locate, outline and measure urban trees in the city of Surrey, British Columbia. We will also detect and map the distribution of invasive plant species in Surrey. By applying this approach to vegetation across the city, spatial patterns in tree condition and invasive species will then be mapped and examined.