This has proved so promising that Y.E.S. has developed a series of research projects under the banner of High-Tech Landscapes. The main focus of the new studies is plant communities and forest health.
Plant communities are natural integrators of the landscape.
They are a reflection of the geologic and soil foundation below, yet provide the above-ground architecture for the habitat that animals require. Hyperspectral images break up the spectrum into 224 wavelengths, each of which can contain a wealth of information that is invisible to the human eye. Y.E.S. is using hyperspectral imaging to identify riparian areas where amphibians may live, to gauge the spread and severity of blister rust infecting whitebark pine trees, and to measure the fuel loading that could result in severe wildfires. Y.E.S. is currently conducting nine High-Tech research projects. In an ecosystem where the terrain is rugged and roads are scarce, the only effective way to monitor large areas is from the air.