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SYNOPSIS
The paper reviews general applications of remotely sensed data within the fields of forestry and environmental, management, and the potential of such data for resource assessment and monitoring.
The various satellite systems and sensors available for resource surveys in South Africa are discussed; and comparisons are made in terms of data formats, mapping feasibilities, operating scales, and cost-effectiveness. The applicability of both digital processing and visual interpretation techniques are assessed, now that precision-corrected hard copy imagery is available in Gauss Conformal projection; and that GISs are becoming an acceptable management tool in South Africa.
Forestry and associated environmental management applications are reviewed in some detail. Examples include the capability for species level inventory, forest structure analysis, leaf area index measurements, biomass estimates, canopy chemistry, stress/disease assessment, fire and fire management; and wildlife habitat evaluation.