Detection of the Urban Propagation of the Mistletoe (Loranthaceae sp) using Remote Sensing Techniques

Abstract

The relevance of the detection of the mistletoe in urban trees can be explained by several aspects and by the upheavals
that it can caused, such as the stifle and the consequent death of the hostess tree species depriving of characteristics
the standard of urban arborization, besides possible accidents caused by the fall of the tree. Thus, the detection is
carried out through comments in-leases with notations in spread sheets or maps for posterior steps. The objective of
this work was to evaluate if it has significant spectral differences between the spectral reply of leafs of the mistletoe in
relation leafs of its host, in such a way that they allow the accomplishment of the detection with the techniques of
Remote Sensing. A spectrometer SPECTRON SE-590 (350 – 1200 nm) attached at an integrating sphere was used to
obtain the reflectance factors of 150 leafs of four species of mistletoe and of three species host tree. Statistical tests had
showed that the combination of the reflectance factors in the blue, green, red and near infrared bands had resulted in
significant differences, indicating that it would be possible applying Remote Sensing techniques in the detection the
occurrence and monitoring the propagation of mistletoe.