Detection of Individual Tree Species Using Object-Based Classification Method with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Imagery

This study was performed to construct tree species classification map according to three information types (spectral information, texture information, and spectral and texture information) by altitude (30 m, 60 m, 90 m) using the unmanned aerial vehicle images and the object-based classification method, and to evaluate the concordance rate through field survey data. The object-based, optimal weighted values by altitude were 176 for 30 m images, 111 for 60 m images, and 108 for 90 m images in the case of Scale while 0.4/0.6, 0.5/0.5, in the case of the shape/color and compactness/smoothness respectively regardless of the altitude. The overall accuracy according to the type of information by altitude, the information on spectral and texture information was about 88% in the case of 30 m and the spectral information was about 98% and about 86% in the case of 60 m and 90 m respectively showing the highest rates. The concordance rate with the field survey data per tree species was the highest with about 92% in the case of Pinus densiflora at 30 m, about 100% in the case of Prunus sargentii Rehder tree at 60 m, and about 89% in the case of Robinia pseudoacacia L. at 90 m.