Rehabilitation closure criteria assessment using high resolution photogrammetrically derived surface models

Abstract

Relinquishment of mined land is unlikely to occur without compelling evidence that post mine landforms have a sustainable vegetation cover and represent a minimal liability to subsequent land users. Gully and rill erosion result in unstable landforms create unsafe landscapes for commonly targeted post mine land uses, such as grazing. The photogrammetric products of two small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platforms were compared as a means of delineating erosion gullies and comparing vegetation in rehabilitation at an open cut coal mine in the Bowen Basin, Queensland. Erosion gullies were clearly visible in both UAV products at 5cm resolution; however, target illumination and photogrammetric processing methods largely determined the ability to identify erosion from surface models. Individual tree canopies were clearly visible in both products, as were phenological traits such as leaf flushing and flowering. The high spatial resolution resulted in unreliable detection of tree crowns in both processing methods.