Dear Colleagues, The composition, structure and function of forest ecosystems are the key features characterizing their ecological properties, and can thus be crucially shaped and changed by various biotic and abiotic factors on multiple spatial scales. The magnitude and extent of these changes in recent decades calls for enhanced mitigation and adaption measures. Remote sensing data and methods are the main complementary sources of up-to-date synoptic and objective information of forest ecology. Due to the inherent 3D nature of forest ecosystems, the analysis of 3D sources of remote sensing data is considered to be most appropriate for recreating the forest’s compositional, structural and functional dynamics. In this Special Issue of Forests, we published a set of state-of-the-art scientific works including experimental studies, methodological developments and model validations, all dealing with the general topic of 3D remote sensing-assisted applications in forest ecology. We showed applications in forest ecology from a broad collection of method and sensor combinations, including fusion schemes. All in all, the studies and their focuses are as broad as a forest’s ecology or the field of remote sensing and, thus, reflect the very diverse usages and directions toward which future research and practice will be directed.

Dear Colleagues, The composition, structure and function of forest ecosystems are the key features characterizing their ecological properties, and can thus be crucially shaped and changed by various biotic and abiotic factors on multiple spatial scales. The magnitude and extent of these changes in recent decades calls for enhanced mitigation and adaption measures. Remote sensing data and methods are the main complementary sources of up-to-date synoptic and objective information of forest ecology. Due to the inherent 3D nature of forest ecosystems, the analysis of 3D sources of remote sensing data is considered to be most appropriate for recreating the forest's compositional, structural and functional dynamics. In this Special Issue of Forests, we published a set of state-of-the-art scientific works including experimental studies, methodological developments and model validations, all dealing with the general topic of 3D remote sensing-assisted applications in forest ecology. We showed applications in forest ecology from a broad collection of method and sensor combinations, including fusion schemes. All in all, the studies and their focuses are as broad as a forest's ecology or the field of remote sensing and, thus, reflect the very diverse usages and directions toward which future research and practice will be directed.

Remote Sensing of Forest Environments: Concepts and Case Studies is an edited volume intended to provide readers with a state-of-the-art synopsis of the current methods and applied applications employed in remote sensing the world's forests. The contributing authors have sought to illustrate and deepen our understanding of remote sensing of forests, providing new insights and indicating opportunities that are created when forests and forest practices are considered in concert with the evolving paradigm of remote sensing science. Following background and methods sections, this book introduces a series of case studies that exemplify the ways in which remotely sensed data are operationally used, as an element of the decision-making process, and in the scientific study of forests. Remote Sensing of Forest Environments: Concepts and Case Studies is designed to meet the needs of a professional audience composed of both practitioners and researchers. This book is also suitable as a secondary text for graduate-level students in Forestry, Environmental Science, Geography, Engineering, and Computer Science.

As remote sensing data and methods have become increasingly complex and varied - and increasingly reliable - so have their uses in forest management. New algorithms have been developed in virtually every aspect of image analysis, from classification to enhancements to estimating parameters. Remote Sensing for Sustainable Forest Management reviews t

Forests comprise the greatest storage of carbon on land, provide fuel for millions, are the habitat for most terrestrial biodiversity, and are critical to the economies of many countries. Yet changes in the extent and dynamics of forests are inherently difficult to detect and quantify. Remote sensing technologies may facilitate the measurement of some key forest properties which, when combined with other information contained in various computer models, may allow for the quantification of critical forest functions. This book explores how remote sensing and computer modeling can be combined to estimate changes in the carbon storage, or productivity, of forests - from the level of the leaf to the level of the globe. Land managers, researchers, policy makers and students will all find stimulating discussions among an international set of experts at the cutting edge of the interface between science, technology and management.

′A magnificent achievement. A who′s who of contemporary remote sensing have produced an engaging, wide-ranging and scholarly review of the field in just one volume′ - Professor Paul Curran, Vice-Chancellor, Bournemouth University Remote Sensing acquires and interprets small or large-scale data about the Earth from a distance. Using a wide range of spatial, spectral, temporal, and radiometric scales Remote Sensing is a large and diverse field for which this Handbook will be the key research reference. Organized in four key sections: • Interactions of Electromagnetic Radiation with the Terrestrial Environment: chapters on Visible, Near-IR and Shortwave IR; Middle IR (3-5 micrometers); Thermal IR ; Microwave • Digital sensors and Image Characteristics: chapters on Sensor Technology; Coarse Spatial Resolution Optical Sensors ; Medium Spatial Resolution Optical Sensors; Fine Spatial Resolution Optical Sensors; Video Imaging and Multispectral Digital Photography; Hyperspectral Sensors; Radar and Passive Microwave Sensors; Lidar • Remote Sensing Analysis - Design and Implementation: chapters on Image Pre-Processing; Ground Data Collection; Integration with GIS; Quantitative Models in Remote Sensing; Validation and accuracy assessment; • Remote Sensing Analysis - Applications: LITHOSPHERIC SCIENCES: chapters on Topography; Geology; Soils; PLANT SCIENCES: Vegetation; Agriculture; HYDROSPHERIC and CRYSOPHERIC SCIENCES: Hydrosphere: Fresh and Ocean Water; Cryosphere; GLOBAL CHANGE AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENTS: Earth Systems; Human Environments & Links to the Social Sciences; Real Time Monitoring Systems and Disaster Management; Land Cover Change Illustrated throughout, an essential resource for the analysis of remotely sensed data, the SAGE Handbook of Remote Sensing provides researchers with a definitive statement of the core concepts and methodologies in the discipline.