Geomatics and Environmental Engineering

Manual versus Digital Classification of UAV Images in Oak Phenological Studies

Krzysztof Będkowski — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0200

This research concerns the phenological phenomenon of the autumn discolorations of sessile oak leaves as the trees prepare for winter dormancy. Sessile oak trees were categorized into five classes according to the general colors of their crowns: from green to brown. Low-altitude UAV-acquired images from the visible B, G, and R bands were used, compared, and evaluated against the results of several classification methods: those that were carried out in the field, visually based on orthomosaic observations, and four variants of digital classification.
The analysis showed that those methods that were based on observer assessments were highly subjective. At the same time, there was also the problem of the reference data to which the results of the individual methods could be referred. It was expected that the analyzed phenomenon of tree-crown discoloration would be better visible in aerial photographs than in field observations; However, visual color classifications using orthomosaics can be too subjective (as has been shown). It is recommended to use supervised digital classification with a careful selection of reference (training) objects.
To switch from pixel-classification results to individual tree classifications, a novel approach was adopted in which the class value that was most abundant within the images of each canopy (determined by the supervised classification method selected) could be used. Among the supervised digital-classification methods that were applied, the results that were closest to the classification performed in the field were obtained by using the ML and Fisher algorithms (followed by kNN).

DRIMERA: New Model of Airborne Pesticide Dispersion by Eulerian Approach Coupled with Weibull’s Law and Wind Rose

Saint-Pierre Kouadio, Nogbou Emmanuel Assidjo — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0200

To solve the constraints that are commonly faced in risk assessment, research on the modeling of the dispersion and distribution of pollutants in the environment are emerging, and software is being developed. This paper presents a tool that is based on the Eulerian approach coupled with Weibull’s law and the wind rose approach (called DRIMERA). This physically detailed modeling-based software can accurately predict pesticide drift under different weather conditions and calculate aerially applied pesticide concentrations in the environment at a threshold of p = 0.05; the values of the coefficient of determination r² vary between 0.6331 and 0.9876. This support thus helps facilitate the wider use and adaptation of atmospheric models.

Climate Change Viewer: User-Friendly Web Tool for Climate Change Tracking in Ukraine

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0200

An effective climate-change-adaptation strategy should be based on userfriendly and reliable climate services. Due to the lack of such services in Ukraine, this study aimed to develop a web tool called “Climate Change Viewer” (https://climate.uhmi.org.ua/) to visualize climate change in Ukraine and support the development of adaptation measures on a regional scale. The tool’s temperature and precipitation data sets include gridded observation-based time series (1946–2020), climate ERA5-Land reanalysis (1981–2020), and high-resolution regional climate projections of the EURO-Cordex initiative (1981–2100). Regular grids of historical data sets and climate projections have been aggregated within the administrative units and main river basins of Ukraine. Climate Change Viewer shows that the observed warming trend across Ukraine remains within the projected range but exceeds the mean of the climate models’ ensemble. The projected precipitation tends to increase in the northwestern and decrease in the southeastern parts of Ukraine through the end of the 21st century. The tool’s user-friendly interface and regional binding can help increase the awareness of national and local authorities, businesses, and the public sector about future risks of warming and water availability. The further development of Climate Change Viewer also considers other environmental and sector-specific parameters.

Drivers and Impacts of Climate Change: Comprehensive Review of Natural and Anthropogenic Forcing with GCM-Based Projections

Mehmet Özgür Çelik, Osman Orhan, Mehmet Ali Kurt — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0200

Climate change constitutes an escalating global crisis that features significant implications for ecosystems, water resources, agriculture, and industry. Understanding its causes and potential impacts is crucial for formulating effective mitigation and adaptation strategies. This study systematically reviews recent scientific findings and scenario-based climate models to assess both the natural and anthropogenic (human-induced) factors that are driving climate change. It highlights the rising levels of atmospheric carbon, the increasing global temperatures, and the resulting environmental challenges (including extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and biodiversity losses). By drawing on more than 40 regional and global studies, this paper synthesizes results from various GCMs – particularly those that are applied in arid and semi-arid regions (where climate vulnerabilities are most pronounced). The findings revealed disparities in regional vulnerability and highlighted the necessity of selecting accurate GCMs for effective adaptation planning. By synthesizing the existing literature and climate models, this paper aims to establish a comprehensive reference for researchers and policymakers, thus facilitating informed decisionmaking that is geared toward a sustainable future.

Quality of State Real Estate Cadastre-Maintenance Process Based on Ishikawa Cause-and-Effect Diagram

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0200

The management of Kazakhstan’s Real Estate Cadastre is crucial for ensuring the stability and transparency of its real estate market as well as for the implementation of social and economic programs. The main functions of the cadastre are the protection of rights to real estate and the management of the land fund, which contributes to economic development and legal security. Information technologies are currently being introduced in Kazakhstan to maintain this unified cadastre, including public cadastral maps and geoinformation resources. The study of the quality of maintenance of Kazakhstan’s Real Estate Cadastre was conducted using the Ishikawa causal diagram, which allows one to identify and systematize the key factors that influence the quality of any cadastral data. Regulatory legal acts, the methods and means of measurement, the qualifications of personnel, databases, and the technology of the cadastre’s maintenance were analyzed. The study applied differentiation of results and comparative analysis methods. The results of the analysis showed that regulations and databases had the greatest influence on the quality of the cadastral data. The technology of the cadastre’s maintenance and measurement methods are also significant. The study made it possible to identify control points for improving the quality of cadastral maintenance and propose recommendations for reforming the system. The obtained results can be used for the development and implementation of measures to improve the quality of the cadastral service.