Forest information from hyperspectral sensing

Remote sensing of forests is a major application for Canada's new hyperspectral satellite (HERO). Hyperspectral remote sensing can provide forest information products for applications in forest inventory, forest chemistry, and for some Kyoto Protocol information products. Through several projects, we have demonstrated that airborne and satellite hyperspectral sensing can provide accurate maps of west coast forest species. High correlations have been demonstrated between ground measurements of foliar nitrogen and estimates derived from hyperspectral sensing. Data for these experiments have included airborne AVIRIS and CASI, and satellite Hyperion data. To achieve operational accuracies of 80% or better for forest species classification, it is essential that the hyperspectral data are well calibrated. Also, sensor artifacts, such as smile, keystone, and striping, must be corrected. Methods have also been developed for mapping forest health status bioindicators: leaf chlorophyll, nitrogen, and water content. Methods have also been developed for determining canopy fractions to levels as low as 20%. If HERO generates a 1% improvement in forest product sales, this would amount to a benefit $700 million annually in Canada alone. This paper will report on the current state of hyperspectral sensing of forests, and present the hyperspectral sensor specifications needed for forest applications.