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Conducting a Southern Pine Beetle Survey Using Digital Aerial Sketchmapping (DASM) - An Overview

Formally Refereed

Abstract

This is an overview on conducting a southern pine beetle (SPB) survey using Digital Aerial Sketchmapping (DASM); for a detailed treatment of DASM visit the following Web site: http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/ technology/dasm.shtml. Sketchmapping – “A remote sensing technique of observing forest change events from an aircraft and documenting them manually on a map” (McConnell and others 2000). Recent advances in microprocessor speed and PC system performance now make possible the use of portable computers for aerial sketchmapping in aerial survey work. The USDA Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Center (RSAC) and Forest Health and Technology Enterprise Team (FHTET) have worked with software vendor, Michael Baker Jr., Inc., to develop an application that will make survey and monitoring of SPB spots more accurate and efficient. The core of the DASM is GeoLink® software (Michael Baker Jr., Inc.). GeoLink incorporates a global positioning system (GPS) signal into a displayed background map window and enables the user to sketch points, lines, or polygons onto the virtual map display. GeoLink then translates these data into ESRI® shapefiles, a common geographic information system (GIS) data format. Advantages include automatic tracking of aircraft position on the map base through a link to a GPS receiver, ability to display many types of background maps for better accuracy in digitizing SPB spots, and the reduction of time spent digitizing data into the GIS.

Parent Publication

Keywords

DASM, GeoLink, sketchmapping

Citation

Steiner, Chris A. 2011. Conducting a Southern Pine Beetle Survey Using Digital Aerial Sketchmapping (DASM) - An Overview. In: Coulson, R.N.; Klepzig, K.D. 2011. Southern Pine Beetle II. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-140. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 263-270.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/39079