Sections

Aerial Photogrammetry Refresher

Room 4-516, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, UGA

Date: 11/11/2011 from 08:30 am to 02:30 pm

Aerial photographs and digital orthophotographs are commonly used in natural resource management for reconnaissance and mapping processes. Foresters frequently use aerial photographs to assess forest characteristics, identify critical habitat and sensitive areas, assess legal and environmental issues, and monitor silvicultural practices. While the technology is evolving from film to digital formats, the basic underlying methodology is very similar.

Brochure

Brochure with mail-in registration form (optional)

This five-hour course will:

Briefly introduce aerial photography technology

Review photo interpretation principles

Discuss and review how photos can be viewed in stereo, and why one would do so

Discuss spatial and spectral resolution of aerial photographs

Discuss the issues of scale and horizontal and vertical measurements from aerial photos

Discuss how digital orthophotographs are created and used

Discuss small format aerial photography options

Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

Understand the basic principles of aerial photogrammetry
Understand the advantages and limitations of using aerial photographs in natural resource management
Understand how aerial photographs can be used effectively in natural resource management

Who Should Attend?

Natural resource management professionals who have the opportunity to use aerial photographs or digital orthophotographs in their current positions, but could use a short refresher on the technology. People who want to learn more about aerial photogrammetry in order to advance their careers or to meet the needs of a professional certification organization.

Format

The course involves lecture presentations that provide an overview of aerial photogrammetry principles as they pertain to forestry and natural resource management in the United States. The material will be presented in a logical manner, from an introduction to the technology to interpretation principles, stereoscopy, resolution, measurements, and finally to the wide array of systems and products associated with the field. These lectures all occur within a five-hour period of time on the day of the course. Handouts will be provided to summarize the material presented.

Instructor

Dr. Pete Bettinger is a professor in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. He has more than 25 years of operating, teaching, and research experience in forestry and natural resources, including roles with the U.S. Forest Service, several forest products companies, and Oregon State University. Dr. Bettinger has taught courses on forest measurements, forest planning, and harvest scheduling, as well as GIS applications in natural resource management. In 2009, Academic Press published his book Forest Management and Planning, and in 2008 Oxford University Press published his book Geographic Information Systems: Applications in Natural Resource Management. Dr. Bettinger earned BS and MS degrees from Virginia Tech; and a PhD from Oregon State University.