UAV-Based Remote Sensing Methods for Modeling, Mapping, and Monitoring Vegetation and Agricultural Crops

Dear Colleagues,

Recent developments in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platforms, sensors, and image processing techniques have resulted in an increasing uptake of this technology in the remote sensing science community. Several studies have successfully demonstrated UAV operations using small platforms equipped with sensors for RGB, multispectral, hyperspectral, and thermal imaging, as well as with laser scanning capabilities. While regulations may still hinder the broader usage of UAVs, technological development - especially in miniaturizing sensors - is progressing rapidly. UAVs’ capacity for near-continuous acquisition of ultra-high resolution imagery has provided both opportunities and challenges in the area of vegetation mapping and monitoring; specific applications of this technology exist in the areas of forestry, agriculture, and ecosystem research. There are significant research opportunities in detecting tree and crop species, physiological and structural traits, plant communities, biophysical and biochemical characteristics of canopies, and vegetation stress. Novel UAV-based imaging techniques and the development of specialized processing workflows will allow us to address novel and important science questions in vegetation monitoring. This Special Issue focuses on UAV-Based Remote Sensing Methods for Modeling, Mapping, and Monitoring Vegetation and Agricultural Crops. The scope of this issue includes, but is not limited to, significant improvements in sensor technology, descriptions of processing schemes and algorithms, improved understandings of vegetation processes, and the interpretation of spatio-temporal vegetation dynamics using time series. Contributions should focus on UAV-based approaches that are aimed at improving our scientific understanding of vegetation processes. Studies may span the spatial scale from millimeters to the regional, and time scales from seconds to seasons. Prospective authors are invited to contribute to this Special Issue of Remote Sensing (Impact Factor 2012: 2.1; 5-Year Impact Factor 2012: 2.2) by submitting an original manuscript. Contributions may focus on, but are not limited to:

• UAV-based stereo imaging of vegetation
• UAV-based structure from motion (SfM) imaging of vegetation
• UAV-based laser scanning of vegetation
• UAV-based multispectral imaging of vegetation
• UAV-based hyperspectral imaging of vegetation
• UAV-based thermal imaging of vegetation
• UAV-based change detection of vegetation
• Methodological developments for information extraction from UAV-based imaging: i.e., vegetation index development and automatic feature extraction
• Accuracy and precision evaluations of UAV-based vegetation imaging techniques
• Real-time georeferencing for UAV-based imaging of vegetation
• Radiometric and spectral calibration of UAV instruments
• Linking field samples to UAV imagery and image derivatives

Dr. Arko Lucieer
Dr. Pablo J. Zarco-Tejada
Prof. Dr. Uwe Rascher
Prof. Dr. Georg Bareth
Guest Editors

Submission

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. Papers will be published continuously (i.e., as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the Special Issue website. Research articles, review articles, and communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are refereed through a peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for the submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international, peer-reviewed Open Access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs).