This is likely due to the combined impact of drought, associated climate change and defoliating plagues, especially Enallodiplosis discordis ( Diptera: Cecidomyiidae).

Furthermore, over the last ten years the forest has been experiencing die-back of its keystone species: the Algarrobo ( Prosopis pallida) upon which communities and livelihoods have historically depended. However, agro-industrial expansion, over-exploitation of natural resources (for firewood and agriculture land) and climatic extremes (e.g., ENSO events) has left forest relicts and a mosaic of associated arid land vegetation which are now highly threatened and vulnerable. The Equatorial dry forest of Peru also provides a wide range of livelihoods and ecosystem services to local communities. The region is a vital and unique ecosystem within the Latin American biome of seasonally dry tropical forest and that is one of the most threatened, and yet understudied and very poorly surveyed, tropical forests worldwide with less than 10% of the original extent remaining regionally. The Pacific Equatorial dry forest of Northern Peru (and South Western Ecuador) is recognised as a unique dry forest ecosystem, rich in endemic flora and biodiversity. The analysis exposes the state of the vegetation and serves as a baseline for monitoring and adaptive implementation of community based conservation and restoration in the area. Here we demonstrate that object-based image analysis of very high resolution UAV images can identify and quantify keystone tree species and their health across wide heterogeneous landscapes. Combining this with their capacity to produce three dimensional models of the environment provides an invaluable tool for species level monitoring. UAVs offer an affordable alternative to satellites in obtaining both colour and near infrared imagery to meet the specific requirements of spatial and temporal resolution of a monitoring system. As agro-industrial expansion and climatic variation transform the region, close ecosystem monitoring is essential for viable adaptation strategies. Although highly threatened the forest provides livelihoods and ecosystem services to local communities. The Pacific Equatorial dry forest of Northern Peru is recognised for its unique endemic biodiversity.

Uav multispec whater identification