The practical utility of hyperspectral remote sensing for early detection of emerald ash borer

Hyperspectral remote sensing technology has been used in forest ecology research for the last decade to examine landscape scale patterns of foliar chemistry (nitrogen, cellulose, and lignin) (Martin and Aber 1997), stand productivity (Smith et al. 2002), and soil nitrogen dynamics (Ollinger et al. 2002). More recently, techniques have been developed to map the location of eastern hemlock stands and tree stress along the hemlock wooly adelgid infestation front (Pontius et al. 2005). To date, all of these efforts have relied on a NASA-operated sensor that is dedicated to support research projects.