Above Ground Biomass Estimation in Agroforestry Environment by UAS and RGB Imagery

Rapid advances in unmanned aerial system (UAS) platforms have boosted the use of low-altitude aerial imagery in estimating crops Above Ground Biomass (AGB). By electro-optical camera onboard UAS it is easy to obtain crop information at the farm scale under adequate weather conditions with high temporal and spatial resolution. In order to assess the biomass of woody crops, this study intends to evaluate the potential of Red Green Blue (RGB)-imagery and of the relevant vegetation indices to compute diameter at breast height and plant height as the main input for AGB estimation. The method monitors the biomass, carbon stock, and coverage of tree plants by integrating various techniques and software. It is also of general validity, so it can apply to other woody crops and results may help managers of ecosystem assess and monitor ecosystems as well as remediation and revegetation initiatives.