Abstract: Imaging spectrometry, also called hyperspectral imaging, is gaining widespread interest as a remote sensing technique that allows for quantitative determination of the abundance and composition of Earth surface materials at the subpixel resolution level. Hyperspectral imaging sensors collect radiance data from airborne and spaceborne platforms that must be converted to apparent surface reflectance before analysis techniques can be brought to bear. In this plenary, I present my past experience using airborne hyperspectral imaging sensor for a variety of environmental and forest engineering related applications. I begin by providing a brief overview of airborne hyperspectral sensing and show its operational set up for data acquisition over the Malaysian airspace as a showcase of a tropical environment. I next present a series of examples using the AISA sensor system for a variety of environmental research and commercial applications. These include precision forestry and agriculture using individual timber tree and oil palm, respectively, rice paddies land use mapping, coastal zone management and derivation of useful parameters of interests for montane dipterocarp hill forest environmental conservation and management. In addition, I outline my efforts to propose a carbon flux and dynamics model with lidar-derived tropical forest structure for improved carbon stocks and flux estimation. I then explore the use of airborne hyperspectral sensor observations for other environmental related applications. Lastly, I provide a preview of the next generation airborne hyperspectral systems which hopes to provide spatially continuous estimates of detail forest composition and structure for future and better environmental planning and sustainable development. The truth seems to be out there for the use of airborne hyperspectral remote sensing for operational environmental applications and forestry.

Brief Biography of the Speaker:
He is a Senior Professor (Grade VK6/B) in the Department of Forest Production at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and was a Visiting Professor with Yale and Kyoto University. His research expertise is in Forest Engineering Surveying. His research interests include hyperspectral image processing, the estimation of tropical forest aboveground biomass using airborne hyperspectral sensing, and improving model carbon projections of the land surface using other remote sensing data. He was the Coordinator of Tropical Forest Airborne Observatory (TropAIR) and the principal investigator for three Search-and-Rescue (SAR) operations for the missing military and civilian aircrafts in Malaysia.