Analysis of Espeletia pycnophylla Populations in the El Ángel Ecological Reserve Using Aerial Photogrammetry and Spectral Analysis

This project focuses on studying the populations of Espeletia pycnophylla (frailejones) within the El Ángel Ecological Reserve, Ecuador, a vital yet threatened páramo ecosystem. The main objective is to address the lack of knowledge regarding the population dynamics of key plant species in these fragile environments. The proposed methodology combines remote sensing with fieldwork. One-hectare plots will be delineated across an altitudinal gradient (3600 to 4200 m) and photographed using a drone equipped with an RGB camera. The images will be processed using Agisoft PhotoScan to generate orthophotography and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). Subsequently, ArcGIS and QGIS will be utilized for total individual counting and supervised classification to discriminate the target species from other vegetation. Concurrently, manual height measurements of 200 randomly selected plants will be taken in the field using measuring tapes. Finally, a predictive height model will be developed via linear regression, validating the photogrammetry results against field measurements to obtain a significant R2 value. This research will provide essential data for the management and conservation of high-Andean ecosystems.<br/><br/><b>Goal</b>: <br/>To analyze the populations of Espeletia pycnophylla in the El Ángel Ecological Reserve using aerial photogrammetry to estimate their abundance and height across different altitudinal gradients.<br/><br/><b>Research lines</b>: <br/>Biodiversity and genetic resources