Rehabilitating Roe 8: Monitoring, management and collaboration using Ecoda
Challenge
The Rehabilitating Roe 8 project (https://rehabilitatingroe8.org) is a partnership between community and government to restore areas cleared within the proposed ‘Roe 8’ extension of Roe Highway prior to its suspension. The Roe 8 corridor project site is approximately 69 hectares, encompassing ~18 ha of cleared area, in the Perth metropolitan area. The project aims to restore local native vegetation and fauna habitat to cleared areas.
A traditional ground-based monitoring program was implemented using quadrats to enable sampling of vegetation cover, species richness and density, litter cover and weed presence. Rehabilitating Roe 8 project managers were seeking a cost-effective method to monitor vegetation across the entire project area to identify areas requiring management intervention to progress restoration objectives.
Solution
Ecoda used aerial imagery and remote sensing analysis to assess vegetation across the entire project area. Data were initially collected using manned aircraft in November 2018 and September 2019, primarily due to the project area partially falling within the Jandakot airport-controlled airspace. The surveys provided 4-band aerial data at 5 cm resolution suitable for producing Ecoda metrics for vegetation cover, height and health.
For December 2020 and January 2022 Ecoda’s drone survey partner Multi Scan surveyed the project, providing data of similar resolution (~4 cm) but at lower cost. Unlike the aerial imagery, the drone imagery was radiometrically calibrated enabling greater comparability of results over time.
Ecoda also sourced historic satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies capturing the project area pre-clearing (2015) and immediately post-clearing (2017), providing a valuable vegetation cover baseline to inform restoration objectives and progress monitoring.
An Ecoda platform workspace was designed that allows Roe 8 project managers to access metrics for the different vegetation types and restoration management zones, and compare these against uncleared areas (analogues).
Outcome
Ecoda’s approach to monitoring allows comprehensive understanding of restoration progress throughout the entire project area, addressing sampling limitations associated with traditional on-ground sampling methods which only sample a small proportion of the landscape.
Rehabilitation Roe 8 project managers now have access to seven years of vegetation metrics across the entire project area, including baseline data from historical satellite imagery that would have otherwise not been attainable. The aerial imagery and remote sensing analysis provide informative and complementary data to on- ground monitoring data. Using the Ecoda map and analysis tools, comparisons can be made between restoration areas, restoration treatment types and across years.
Roe 8 restoration managers have used Ecoda to monitor progress of the rehabilitation and plan upcoming works programs to improve performance and achieve program objectives. Results on Ecoda can be shared between Rehabilitating Roe 8 project partners, allowing for easier collaboration and planning for any remediation measures required to progress towards achieving project objectives.
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