Remote sensing technology has revolutionized ecological data collection. Only recently has technology advanced to facilitate individual-plant-scale remote sensing over large areas. The emergence of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS; aka “drones”) and miniaturized sensors has facilitated on-demand centimeter-resolution multispectral remote sensing over tens to hundreds of hectares. Accessing this much data may be both exciting and overwhelming. Ultra-high-resolution imagery can be used to accurately estimate green plant cover, identify species, monitor plant vigor, document change, measure vertical and horizontal distances, count individuals, and ultimately to ask, and answer, new ecological questions.
