Identifying Amazonian trees from high resolution airborne imagery

Taxonomic identification of tropical trees is a slow process because it requires local flora expertise to identify a highly diverse number of species in a small area. There is significant value in the finding new plant identification methods that will allow scientists to conduct rapid tropical rainforest tree inventories using simple techniques. Aerial identification is presented here as an alternative tool that might complement traditional taxonomy carried out on the ground. This book is a guide for the new generation of tropical ecologists, biologists and/or conservationists who want to utilise alternative techniques for identifying tropical trees. The book explores the use of high resolution aerial photography to identify tree crowns, distinguishes the potential environmental drivers that may control the presence of the trees in the tropical forest and identifies the spatial distribution of key taxa in the landscape