Airphoto Uses

The airphotos taken by the Wisconsin DNR are designed specifically for our foresters to use. The photos assist them with tasks such as reconnaissance, management plan creation and damage assessment after a disaster.

Some ways in which you could use airphotos are as follows:

• Determine the general land cover in an area (e.g., grass, trees, corn fields, paved areas etc.).
• Determine the types of land uses (e.g., agricultural, residential, commercial, etc.), and how they are distributed in the area.
• Determine the number and types of water bodies in the area.
• Compare with older/newer aerial photos of the same area to determine how the land use changes over time.
• View subdivision, city or town layout.
• Have a bird's eye view of your land.
• View vegetation cover in an area that you wish to hunt.
• Perform geological mapping and evaluation.
• Assist in mapping soil types.
• Assist with crop condition assessment (e.g., stress or disease detection).
• Determine forest damage due to disease or natural disaster.
• Predict the timber yield of a forest.
• Detect water pollution.
• Determine flood damage.
• Assist in population estimations, traffic and parking studies, housing quality studies, power plant siting, transportation route location, sanitary landfill site selection and transmission line location.
• Assist in wildlife population estimations.

Source: Lillesand, T. M. and R. W. Kiefer. 1994. Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation. 3rd ed. John Wilely & Sons, Inc.: New York.