Identification of Arceuthobium globosum using unmanned aerial vehicle images in a high mountain forest of central Mexico

Abstract

The identification of forests infested by parasitic plants is important for the design of appropriate control and prevention strategies. Satellite images and geographic information systems are commonly used to analyze the presence of pest and parasitic plants in the forests. However there is a need for finer resolution. In the last decade, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles has become increasingly common for capturing aerial images (< 10 cm per pixel). The objective of the study was to obtain RGB values (Red, Green and Blue) through the colorimetric ranges for use in identification of Yellow Dwarf Mistletoe (YDM) (Arceuthobium globosum) in aerial images taken in a forest of central Mexico via a programmed algorithm. Three tonalities of YDM were classified according to its phenological stages, viz. green (young stage), yellow (adult stage), and brown (senescence stage), considering two light intensities, sunny and cloudy. Non-parametric tests were used in statistical analyses. The Spearman test showed significant negative correlation (p < 0.001) between phenological stage and colour, indicating that lower RGB values were associated with greater age. The differences between groups were analysed using Kruskal–Wallis (p < 0.01) and Mann–Whitney tests (p < 0.01). The applied algorithm identified the presence and predominant colours of YDM according to its phenological stage.

Keywords

Colorimetric analysis / RGB / Pinus hartweggi / Parasitic plants / Remote sensing

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