Investigating the potential of object-based image analysis to identify tree avenues in high resolution aerial imagery and lidar data : a literature review

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) for the identification and monitoring of tree avenues with the help of aerial imagery and lidar data. For this, a literature review into three topics was conducted: First, scientific literature in form of journal articles, text books, and reports were used to highlight key features of GEOBIA. Second, eCognition, a widely used GEOBIA software, was introduced by referring to user manuals, and web-tutorials. Third, a detailed overview of tree avenues and their characteristics was derived from reports and text books. The main finding of the study is that, although there have been no earlier attempts to identify tree avenues using GEOBIA, there is considerable potential for doing so. This is motivated mainly due to the characteristics of tree avenues and their similarity with landscape objects that have been successfully identified with eCognition. As a progressive result of this literature review, an action plan for practitioners interested in mapping tree avenues is designed and discussed.