UAV Images Of Drought-Stressed Beech Forests In Rhӧn Reserve, 2020

Four high-resolution RGB unmanned aerial vehicle images capture European beech forests in Germany's Rhӧn Biosphere Reserve from September 2020. The dataset, with approximately 3cm pixel size and an associated 10cm digital elevation model, was collected to analyze individual tree and stand-level canopy damage following an extreme 2018/2019 drought. The work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council.

Use Cases

• Segment individual trees from the 3cm pixel RGB images to assess stand structure and density.
• Classify canopy damage levels (defoliation, discolouration, mortality) using the high-resolution RGB imagery.
• Analyze terrain influence on drought stress by overlaying tree health assessments with the 10cm pixel digital elevation model.
• Train a model to detect drought-induced discolouration patterns in European beech (Fagus sylvatica) canopies.

Strengths

• High spatial resolution with approximately 3cm pixel size for detailed canopy inspection.
• Includes a co-registered 10cm pixel digital elevation model for topographic analysis.
• Focuses on a specific, ecologically significant event: beech forest response to the extreme 2018/2019 central European drought.
• Collected within core protected areas of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, ensuring a defined study environment.

Limitations

• Very small sample size of only four UAV images, limiting statistical power and geographic coverage.
• Single temporal snapshot from September 2020 prevents analysis of damage progression or recovery over time.
• Data is restricted to European beech (Fagus sylvatica) in one German region, limiting generalizability to other species or geographies.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre

Collection Method

Collected via unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in September 2020.

Time Range

September 2020

Freshness

null

Geography

Core protected areas of the UNESCO Rhӧn Biosphere Reserve, Germany