Integrated assessment of tree health and structural stability using UAV multispectral imaging, 3D photogrammetry, VTA and acoustic tomography: A case study of a lime tree

Abstract

Accurate assessment of the physiological and mechanical condition of trees in urban environments represents a key component of risk management and the planning of protection measures. This study presents the integration of four methodological approaches - multispectral UAS (drone) analysis, a photogrammetrically generated 3D model, Visual Tree Assessment (VTA) and acoustic tomography (Arbotom) - applied to an old lime tree (Tilia platyphyllos) located in the courtyard of the Bishop's Palace of the Šabac Eparchy. Multispectral analysis was used to calculate the NDRE index of physiological activity, while the 3D trunk model was employed for precise positioning of the Arbotom sensors. Tomographic measurements performed at heights of 40 cm and 200 cm identified degradation zones with a reduction in load-bearing cross-sectional area of 27-39% (lower section) and 43-52% (upper section). The NDRE index indicated localized areas of reduced physiological activity within the crown, while the VTA method confirmed the presence of fungi of the genus Ganoderma. The integrated results indicate that the tree currently maintains a stable mechanical structure, with localized degradation zones that do not yet affect its static stability. The presented multi-sensor approach is highlighted as an efficient tool for detection, evaluation, and risk management in urban forestry, however as this research was conducted on a single Tillia platyphyllos specimen, the findings should be interpreted as a case study and methodological demonstration rather than as results directly generalizable to a broader population of urban trees.

Plant phenotyping relevance

樹木の生理状態と構造安定性を推定するため、UAVマルチスペクトル画像、3Dフォトグラメトリ、音響トモグラフィーなどを統合した測定手法が中心であり、方法論的実証として報告されている。

Code and data availability

The paper is a single-tree case study (UAV multispectral NDRE, photogrammetric 3D trunk model, Arbotom tomography, VTA) with no data availability statement, no public repository deposit, no author code/workflow URL, and no supplement referenced. All URLs in the text are license or citation DOIs, not paper-specific phen

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