The Importance of Understanding Plant Health and Remote Sensing’s Role in Providing the Information for Proper Management

The health of the environment starts with the vegetation that resides within the many ecosystems of the planet and the steps necessary to manage their health. Researchers are required to maintain longterm monitoring data that stretches across varying habitats and the different types of plants that make them up. Over the last two to three decades the technologies of remote sensing—the practice of observing and collecting data on an object or region on the Earth’s surface—has played a crucial role in assisting habitat managers and policymakers, providing them with necessary information to make informed decisions on how to maintain a healthy and thriving ecosystem. Passive and active sensors, both on airborne and satellite platforms, have obtained a wealth of long-term imagery for these monitoring operations. Without healthy and sustainable plant life, not only will the regional ecosystem and the inhabitants living within it suffer, but so could the entire world. Wetlands, forests, farmland, and grasslands all serve many purposes in the well-being of the environment and the people who depend on them for their resources. This paper outlines these areas of interest and the need for proper management of the health of these plants and their environments.