Exploratory Assessment of Lignum and Non-woody Riparian Vegetation using Drone Technology and Sentinel-2

The project explored methods to determine an extent baseline for lignum in the Murray–Darling Basin, so that we can measure outcomes listed in the Basin-wide environmental watering strategy. The project also investigated options to measure the condition of other non-woody vegetation. The application of unmanned drones and Sentinel-2 imagery was explored by assessing

1. extent and condition of lignum stands and understory vegetation on Clarks Floodplain between Berri and Loxton in South Australia, based on remote sensing imagery, expert interpretation, field validation and GIS analysis of ground-truthed data;
2. riparian vegetation ‘corridor’ mapping of the River Murray channel;
3. potential application and utility across the whole of the MDB and beyond.

The findings of the project are detailed within this report.