Smithsonian ForestGEO San Lorenzo and Panama Small Plots Aerial Photogrammetry Orthomosaics, Digital Surface Models, Point Clouds and Raw Images for 2015-2024

Data are available for download at:https://smithsonian.dataone.org/datasets/Panama_Forest_Drone_DatasetMetadata is available as comma separated value files named metadata_all.csv and variables_description.csv, as well as a README.txtThis dataset is part of a research program investigating spatial and temporal variation in forest structure, dynamics, and composition of forest ecosystems in Panama using uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones to capture high-resolution data. This research is led by Dr. Helene C. Muller-Landau at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.This extensive dataset is organized into nine sites, hereafter referred to as macrosites. These are the Agua Salud Project, Parque Natural Metropolitano, Bosque Protector de Arraiján, Barro Colorado Natural Monument, Parque Nacional Soberanía, Parque Nacional Camino de Cruces, Gamboa (this area is also part of Parque Nacional Soberanía), San Lorenzo, and Santa Rita Colón. Within these macrosites, the dataset encompasses 38 individual plots or zones, each representing distinct areas of interest. Data collection was conducted over multiple dates, and includes a total of 84 drone flights.The data products available within this dataset include orthomosaics, digital surface models (DSMs), point clouds, raw images, and detailed processing reports. All these products are provided in the UTM Zone 17N coordinate reference system (EPSG: 32617). Orthomosaics and DSMs are available in GeoTIFF format, while point clouds are provided as LAS files in versions 1.2 and 1.4. The dataset is based primarily on RGB imagery, though flights in 2024 utilized a DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise Multispectral sensor, offering multispectral data alongside the standard RGB products.This dataset includes data collected by multiple different drone platforms and sensors, as specified in the metadata. The most frequently used was the DJI Phantom 4 Pro (denoted P4P in the dataset), which was equipped with a FC6310 camera. The other platforms were the Solo 3DR, outfitted with a Peau Productions MAPIR sensor (SOLO) and a MAPIR Survey 2 sensor (SOLO2); the eBee SenseFly, which utilized both a S.O.D.A camera sensor and a SONY DSC-WX220 sensor, the latter referred to as EBEE2 in the dataset; the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise (M3E), featuring a M3M multispectral sensor; and a hobbyist drone (denoted DR1) with a Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS.