Best practices for incorporating UAS image collection into wetland monitoring efforts: a guide for entry level users

We describe a systematic effort to determine best practices for the use of UAS in wetland monitoring efforts. Specifics of flight planning, image collection, structure from motion processing, and habitat mapping are addressed. This guidance is tailored to entry level UAS users who aspire to use UAS to complement field monitoring efforts without becoming experts in image analysis. The results demonstrate that there is significant value to be gained through the incorporation of UAS into wetland monitoring. The guidance provided here is a collection of lessons learned that are provided with the goal of reducing the learning curve for new adopters of this technology.