Monitoring plant condition and phenology using infrared sensitive consumer grade digital cameras

Consumer-grade digital cameras are recognized as a cost-effective method of monitoring plant health
and phenology. The capacity to use these cameras to produce time series information contributes to a
better understanding of relationships between environmental conditions, vegetation health, and productivity.
In this study we evaluate the use of consumer grade digital cameras modified to capture infrared
wavelengths for monitoring vegetation. The use of infrared imagery is very common in satellite remote
sensing, while most current near sensing studies are limited to visible wavelengths only. The use of
infrared-visible observations is theoretically superior over the use of just visible observation due to the
strong contrast between infrared and visible reflection of vegetation, the high correlation of the three
visible bands and the possibilities to use spectral indices like the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index.
Thispaperpresents two experiments:thefirst study compares infraredmodifiedandtrue color cameras
to detect seasonal development of understory plants species in a forest; the second is aimed at evaluation
of spectrometer and camera data collected during a laboratory plant stress experiment. The main goal of
the experiments is to evaluate the utility of infrared modified cameras for the monitoring of plant health
and phenology.
Results show thatinfrared converted cameras perform less than standard color cameras in a monitoring
setting. Comparison of the infrared camera response to spectrometer data points at limits in dynamic
range, and poor band separation as the main weaknesses of converted consumer cameras. Our results
supportthe use of standard color cameras as simple and affordable tools for the monitoring of plant stress
and phenology.