Classifying fuels with aerial photography in East Texas

Abstract

National Fire Danger Rating System fuel models were predicted from 1:80,000 scale aerial photographs with a greater than 90% accuracy using combinations of three variables: pine composition, pine basal area and total crown closure. These variables were measured from aerial photos and field checked using techniques common to forest and natural resource management. Graphical presentation from discriminate function analysis indicated good group separation. Misclassification of stands requiring field checking represented 3.3% of the total stand classification. The common use of both the fuel models and aerial photos make the procedures described in this study an easy method for classifying fuel models in the pine and pine-hardwood forests of East Texas.