Recent advances in the remote sensing of insects
Rhodes, MW; Bennie, JJ; Spalding, A; et al.ffrench-Constant, RH; Maclean, IMD
Date: 5 October 2021
Journal
Biological Reviews
Publisher
Wiley / Cambridge Philosophical Society
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Remote sensing has revolutionised many aspects of ecological research, enabling
spatiotemporal data to be collected in an efficient and highly automated manner. The last two
decades have seen phenomenal growth in capabilities for high-resolution remote sensing that
increasingly offers opportunities to study small, but ecologically ...
Remote sensing has revolutionised many aspects of ecological research, enabling
spatiotemporal data to be collected in an efficient and highly automated manner. The last two
decades have seen phenomenal growth in capabilities for high-resolution remote sensing that
increasingly offers opportunities to study small, but ecologically important organisms, such
as insects. Here we review current applications for using remote sensing within
entomological research, highlighting the emerging opportunities that now arise through
advances in spatial, temporal and spectral resolution. Remote sensing can be used to map
environmental variables, such as habitat, microclimate and light pollution, capturing data on
topography, vegetation structure and composition, and luminosity at spatial scales
appropriate to insects. Such data can also be used to detect insects indirectly from the
influences that they have on the environment, such as feeding damage or nest structures,
whilst opportunities for directly detecting insects are also increasingly available.
Entomological radar and light detection and ranging (LiDAR), for example, are transforming
our understanding of aerial insect abundance and movement ecology, whilst ultra-high spatial
resolution drone imagery presents tantalising new opportunities for direct observation.
Remote sensing is rapidly developing into a powerful toolkit for entomologists, that we
envisage will soon become an integral part of insect science.
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