Geo-information science for precision forest managemnet and policy.

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) collaboration with a private company, Aeroscan Precision (M) Sdn Bhd (APSB) based in UPM Serdang has conducted a research and development applications in geo-information science by specializing in the use of airbone hyperspectral sensor in developing precision forest manangement and policy. The UPM-APSB`s sensor was flown over a representive series forested areas in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak from July 2004 until December 2006. It is a pushbroom imaging spectrometer recording remote sensing images over a large spectrum of wavelenghts from the visible (400nm) to near infrared (1,000nm). Images have a ground pixel size of 1 meter by 1 meter at a flight altitude of 1,000 meter a.d.l and a constant flight speed of 120 knots. The ground validation segement of the projects was focused around lowland hill dipterocarps, mountain mixed dipterocarp forest as well as the mangroves. In order to characterize the properties and status such forests, a number of digital images were analyzed based from field libraries of spectrums/signatures already being developed and stored in the archives. Prior to and after the flight, field spectral reflectance measurements using handheld FieldSpec spectroradiometer were taken over the timber species of interest for verifications and accuracy checks. The use of spectral unmixing methods for the discrimination of individual timber species , forest inventory, timber volume estimates, forest degradation and conservation were evaluated and discussed for policy making in sustainable forest management. Precise geo-informative knowledge of the forest resources under study was captured and this is very beneficial to the conservation and utilization of the Malaysian`s tropical rainforest. The results imply that geo-information science, especially the use of UPM-APSB airborne hyperspectral imaging technology would enable the development of a rapid forest resources assessment suitable for a sustainable forest management and policy implementation in Malaysia and other tropical regions.