Evaluating Operational Potential of UAV Transect Mapping for Wetland Vegetation Survey

Park, S.-I.; Hwang, Y.-S.; Lee, J.-J., and Um, J.-S., 2021. Evaluating operational potential of UAV transect mapping for wetland vegetation survey. In: Lee, J.L.; Suh, K.-S.; Lee, B.; Shin, S., and Lee, J. (eds.), Crisis and Integrated Management for Coastal and Marine Safety. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 114, pp. 474–478. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. There has been little research on data collection using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) remote sensing in exploring wetland vegetation communities. The aim of this research was to integrate the concept of typical UAV remote sensing into in situ transect techniques. Transect sampling is commonly utilized to identify biological diversity and richness in vegetation communities. The Object-based Image Analysis was used to identify area-wide wetland vegetation that distinctively appears according to the UAV multispectral sensor's spectral characteristic. This study verified UAV transect mapping on wetland vegetation based on comparative evaluation between field survey and UAV transect method. This research offered an objective reference to UAV transect mapping's operational potential as the alternatives to traditional in-situ transect sampling in the coastal wetland.