Automatic identification of high-mountain shrubs in very-high resolution satellite images using deep learning: Juniperus case study

Accurately mapping vegetation is crucial for environmental monitoring. Traditional methods for identifying shrubs are labor-intensive and impractical for large areas. This workflow uses remote sensing and deep learning to detect Juniperus shrubs from high-resolution RGB satellite images, making shrub identification more efficient and accessible to non-experts in machine learning. Background In a dynamic climate, accurately mapping vegetation distribution is essential for environmental monitoring, biodiversity conservation, forestry, and urban planning. One important application of vegetation mapping is the identification of shrub individuals. We term by shrub identification, detection of shrub location and segmentation of shrub morphology. Introduction Yet, shrub species monitoring is a challenging task. Ecologists used to identify shrubs using classical field surveying methods, however, this process poses a significant challenge since the shrubs are often distributed in large areas that are most of the time inaccessible. Thus, these methods are considered labor-intensive, costly, time-consuming, unsustainable, limited to a small spatial and temporal scale, and their data are often not publicly available. Combining remote sensing and deep learning, however, can play a significant role in tackling these challenges providing a great opportunity to improve plant surveying. First, remote sensing can offer highly detailed spatial resolution granting exceptional flexibility in data acquisition. Then, these data can be afterward processed by deep learning models for automatic identification of shrubs. Aims The objective of this workflow is to help scientists, non-expert in machine learning, detect Juniperus shrubs from RGB very-high resolution satellite images using deep learning and remote sensing tools. Scientific Questions Can we accurately detect high-mountain Juniperus shrubs from RGB very-high resolution satellite images using deep learning?