Remote sensing in rehabilitated areas

Northwest Australia Vegetation Recognition

About 31 miles (50 kilometres) off the northwest coast of Australia is the country’s largest onshore oil production site. For over 15 years, our teams have been conducting soil and ecological investigations to support rehabilitated areas—but recently, we’ve been investigating new ecological monitoring approaches.  

One approach begins with sampling soil and extraction of environmental DNA (eDNA). Below-ground biodiversity is often overlooked, despite the critical role these organisms play in nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, soil structure formation, and disease suppression. We teamed up with Curtin University and University of Western Australia researchers to examine the latest technologies available for soil biodiversity assessment to inform rehabilitation and remediation strategies. This collaboration led to our pilot study refining eDNA metabarcoding to assess bacteria, fungi, and invertebrates from a single soil sample. 

Partnered with eDNA analysis, remote sensing techniques have also been used for several years to complement existing on-site revegetation monitoring. With the benefit of annual fixed-wing aircraft data capture, we were able to monitor larger areas more efficiently and safely. Using object-based image analysis, the imagery is segmented into objects with similar spectral reflectance, shape, and size. This allows cover values to be attributed to specific classes such as grass species, shrubs, and bare soil. 

The result? Accurate, large-scale assessments of rehabilitation performance using high-resolution aerial imagery and field data. We are now routinely using OBIA and eDNA analysis to monitor rehabilitated sites and will continue to explore how these technologies can help detect potential environmental impacts and assess recovery following disturbance.