Investigating the applicability of UAVs in characterizing desert shrub biomass and developing biological indicators for the selection of suitable revegetation sites

JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

卷:288

Article

Abdullah, Meshal M.^1,4  Al-Ali, Zahraa M.⁴  Abdullah, Mansour T.^2,4  Srinivasan, Shruthi³  Assi, Amjad T.^4,5  Al Atiqi, Sara^4,6 

[1] Texas A&M Univ, Dept Ecol & Conservat Biol, College Stn, TX 77843 USA

[2] Publ Author Appl Educ & Training, Dept Sci, Coll Basic Educ, Adailiyah, Kuwait

[3] Texas A&M Forest Serv, Dept Forest Analyt, Dallas, TX 75252 USA

[4] Ecolife Sci Res & Consultat, Nat Environm Syst & Technol NEST Res Grp, Kuwait, Kuwait

[5] Texas A&M Univ, Biol & Agr Engn Dept, College Stn, TX 77843 USA

[6] Publ Author Appl Educ & Training, Environm Hlth Dept, Coll Hlth Sci, Adailiyah, Kuwait

关键词: UAVs;    Annual plants;    Arid ecosystems;    Restoration ecology;    Remote sensing;    Plant-soil interaction;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112416

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

This study focused on evaluating factors influencing the growth of perennial shrubs by integrating field-based experiments and spatial analysis using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to identify ecological indicators that can help detect potential locations for restoration and revegetation of native plants. The experiment was implemented in the Al-Abduli protected area in Kuwait, which is mainly dominated by a Rhanterium epapposum community (desert shrub). Aerial imagery of the study site was acquired using UAVs during the growing season to estimate the desert shrub biomass and carbon stock. Then, soil samples were collected based on vegetation density to determine the impact of the soil?s physical and chemical properties on vegetation biomass, growth, and distribution. It was found that shrub biomass was significantly correlated with crown area and shrub volume. We also observed that annual plants support the growth of perennial shrubs, as the mean shrub height and crown area (CA) are significantly higher, with averages of 0.7 m and 3 cm, respectively, in the presence of high annual plant density. However, shrubs in plots with low annual density had an average shrub height of 0.5 m and CA of 1.4 cm. Annual plants also enhance the soil by providing approximately 50% higher soil moisture, phosphorous (P), organic matter (OM), and carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration. In addition, annual plants are mainly supported by loamy soils in the deeper soil layers. We concluded that locations covered with annual plants represent suitable soils and that this can be considered a biological indicator for convenient locations for restoration and revegetation of native perennial shrubs. Remote sensing technologies could be utilized for initial assessments to detect sites that may support annual plant growth over a large scale for classification as potential restoration and revegetation areas.

【 授权许可】

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