Detection of Tree Decline (Pinus pinaster Aiton) in European Forests Using Sentinel-2 Data

Moderate-resolution satellite imagery is essential to detect conifer tree decline on a regional scale and address the threat caused by pinewood nematode (PWN), (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. This quarantine organism responsible for pine wilt disease (PWD), which has substantial ecological economic losses in maritime (Pinus pinaster) forests of Portugal. study describes first instance pre-operational algorithm applied Sentinel-2 PWD-compatible pine. The Random Forest model relied pre-wilting an in-season image, calibrated with data from 24-month long field campaign enhanced Worldview-3 analysis biological samples (hyperspectral reflectance, pigment quantification needles, PWN identification). Independent validation results attested good performance overall accuracy 95%, particularly when affects more than 30% 100 m2 pixel Sentinel-2. Spectral angle mapper hyperspectral measurements suggested that infection cannot be separated other drivers visible-near infrared domain. Our can employed trends inform subsequent aerial surveys, further investigate hotspots.