https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Index ${session.getAttribute("locale")} 5 Rapid assessment of hillslope erosion risk after the 2019-2020 wildfires and storm events in Sydney drinking water catchment https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:37850 −1 month −1, about 30 times higher than the pre-fire erosion and 10 times higher than the average erosion rate at the same period because of the intense storm events and rainfall erosivity with a return period over 40 years. The high post-fire erosion risk areas (up to 23.8 Mg ha−1 month−1) were at sub-catchments near Warragamba Dam which forms Lake Burragorang and supplies drinking water to more than four million people in Sydney. These findings assist in the timely assessment of post-fire erosion and water quality risks and help develop cost-effective fire incident management and mitigation actions for such an area with both significant ecological and drinking water assets. The methodology developed from this study is potentially applicable elsewhere for similar studies as the input datasets (satellite and radar data) and computing platforms (GEE, GIS) are available and accessible worldwide.]]> Wed 19 May 2021 11:38:03 AEST ]]> Real-time drone derived thermal imagery outperforms traditional survey methods for an arboreal forest mammal https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:42281 Thu 20 Jul 2023 15:43:55 AEST ]]> Trialling a real-time drone detection and validation protocol for the koala (phascolarctos cinereus) https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:43602 n = 12) using two in-field approaches: validation by on-ground observer (n = 10) and validation using 4K footage captured and reviewed directly after the survey (n = 2). We also provide detectability considerations relative to survey time, temperature, wildlife–RPAS interactions and detection of non-target species, which can be used to further inform RPAS survey protocols.]]> Mon 26 Sep 2022 15:26:50 AEST ]]> A Colourimetric Approach to Ecological Remote Sensing: Case Study for the Rainforests of South-Eastern Australia https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:47943 Fri 10 Feb 2023 15:17:59 AEDT ]]> Drone thermal imaging technology provides a cost-effective tool for landscape-scale monitoring of a cryptic forest-dwelling species across all population densities https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:45728 A$49 900), RPAS thermal imaging surveys were cost-effective, detecting the highest number of koalas per dollar spent. Modelling also suggested that RPAS thermal imaging requires the lowest survey effort to detect koalas within the range of publicly available koala population densities (~0.006–18 koalas ha−1) and would provide long-term cost reductions across longitudinal monitoring programs. RPAS thermal imaging would also require the lowest average survey effort costs at a landscape scale (A$3.84 ha−1), providing a cost-effective tool across large spatial areas. Conclusions: Our analyses demonstrated drone thermal imaging technology as a cost-effective tool for conservation practitioners monitoring koala populations. Our analyses may also form the basis of decision-making tools to estimate survey effort or total program costs across any koala population density. Implications: Our novel approach offers a means to perform various economic comparisons of available survey techniques and guide investment decisions towards developing standardised koala monitoring approaches. Our results may assist stakeholders and policymakers to confidently invest in RPAS thermal imaging technology and achieve optimal conservation outcomes for koala populations, with standardised data collection delivered through evidence-based and cost-effective monitoring programs.]]> Fri 04 Nov 2022 09:52:04 AEDT ]]>