The use of remote sensing technologies to investigate severe woodland decline in Western Australia

Introduction: Eucalyptus gomphocephala (tuart) is a magnificent woodland tree dominating the coastal dune system in the south-west of Australia, extending from near Cervantes in the north to near Busselton in the south, approximately 400km in length and frequently only 1 km wide (Boland et al. 2006). Only approximately 30,000 ha of once extensive E. gomphocephla woodland remains (Government of Western Australia2002), and there is increasing concern over its health as a severe decline of unknown cause(s) is having a major impact (Archibald et al. 2004; Edwards 2004). The present study aims to determine whether remote sensing technologies and other spatially explicit datasets can be used with ground-based studies to establish long-term monitoring sites, map spatial and temporal patterns of the decline. It will also compare and monitor quantitative changes in individual tree crown health with the key objective of finding significant correlations with abiotic and/or biotic factors. Preliminary results from this study are presented.