Monitoring of forest Cover in India: Imaging Spectroscopy Perspective

Tropical forests are the most diverse and complex terrestrial systems. India is one of the mega diverse countries supporting rich floral diversity coming from diverse climatic conditions spread across the length and breadth of the country. Unique characteristics of these forest covers coupled with immense pressure of human activities make their monitoring essential so as to ensure their long-term sustainability. More reliable evaluation of forest cover can give better inputs to the National Mission for a Green India. Imaging spectroscopy is an appropriate technique to address some of these vital issues. This technique has seen an exponential growth in the past two decades, addressing various forestry applications such as tree species identification, invasive species mapping, monitoring phenology, biophysical and biochemical characterization, to name a few. Data acquisition through imaging spectroscopy can be done across different spatial and spectral ranges according to the needs of the user. The review highlights important measures to be taken in using imaging spectroscopy for forestry studies, specifically in the Indian context. It emphasizes future outlook of the technology for a sustained assessment of tropical forest cover.