In support of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Southwest Biological Science Center researchers, and in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), the USGS National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) conducted uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) remote sensing flights over two BLM Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) plots at the NEON Moab site in Utah for multi-scale carbon sequestration research on public lands. The UAS data collected include natural color, multispectral, and hyperspectral imagery, and lidar to capture diverse information about vegetation and soils on drylands. The first site (“site 1”) features intact sagebrush and was mapped on May 3, 2023. The second site (“site 7”) is located on a grazed rangeland environment and was mapped on May 5, 2023. These UAS surveys were conducted in early May 2023 to coincide spatially and temporally with ground-based BLM AIM sampling and airplane-based remote sensing surveys by NEON. This portion of the data release presents hyperspectral data products from low-altitude UAS flights at two dryland sites approximately 40 km south of Moab, Utah. A Headwall Nano-Hyperspec line scanning sensor was flown at an altitude of 31 meters above ground level on a DJI Matrice 600 Pro UAS with approved government edition firmware. The hyperspectral images were post-processed using the sensor manufacturer's proprietary software and following their recommended workflow. The orthorectified hyperspectral reflectance images are stored as 32-bit single precision floating point numbers in flat binary files with a band sequential (BSQ) interleave. Each image is accompanied by an ASCII text header file (.hdr) containing band center wavelengths and other parameters relevant to the images. Each image has 274 spectral bands spanning the visible and near infrared wavelengths, 398 to 1002 nm. The images were georeferenced to a geographic coordinate system (latitude and longitude) and WGS84 datum with spatial resolution 1.7 cm (site 1) and 1.5 cm (site 7). There are 30 hyperspectral images with accompanying header files captured at site 1, provided in 5 zip folders to facilitate bulk download. There are 33 hyperspectral images with accompanying header files captured at site 7, provided in 5 zip folders.

In February 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) conducted uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) remote sensing flights to support biological soil crust (biocrust) research at an experiment site located near Castle Valley, Utah. Researchers at the USGS Southwest Biological Science Center have managed this site for over 50 years to study the effects of a warming climate and precipitation changes on biocrust community behavior and composition. Natural color, multispectral, thermal infrared, and hyperspectral UAS image data were collected to capture information about the composition and temperature of biocrust plots subjected to various warming and watering treatments. This portion of the data release presents hyperspectral UAS data. A DJI Matrice 600 Pro UAS with approved government edition firmware was flown carrying a Headwall Nano-Hyperspec line scanning sensor on February 14, 2022. Hyperspectral images with 274 spectral bands spanning the visible and near infrared (wavelengths 398 nm to 1002 nm) were post-processed using the sensor manufacturer's proprietary software and following their recommended workflow.

In February 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) conducted uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) remote sensing flights to support biological soil crust (biocrust) research at an experiment site located near Castle Valley, Utah. Researchers at the USGS Southwest Biological Science Center have managed this site for over 50 years to study the effects of a warming climate and precipitation changes on biocrust community behavior and composition. Natural color, multispectral, thermal infrared, and hyperspectral UAS image data were collected to capture information about the composition and temperature of biocrust plots subjected to various warming and watering treatments. This portion of the data release presents hyperspectral UAS data. A DJI Matrice 600 Pro UAS with approved government edition firmware was flown carrying a Headwall Nano-Hyperspec line scanning sensor on February 14, 2022. Hyperspectral images with 274 spectral bands spanning the visible and near infrared (wavelengths 398 nm to 1002 nm) were post-processed using the sensor manufacturer's proprietary software and following their recommended workflow.

In support of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Southwest Biological Science Center researchers, and in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), the USGS National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) conducted uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) remote sensing flights over two BLM Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) plots at the NEON Moab site in Utah for multi-scale carbon sequestration research on public lands. The UAS data collected include natural color, multispectral, and hyperspectral imagery, and lidar to capture diverse information about vegetation and soils on drylands. The first site (“site 1”) features intact sagebrush and was mapped on May 3, 2023. The second site (“site 7”) is located on a grazed rangeland environment and was mapped on May 5, 2023. These UAS surveys were conducted in early May 2023 to coincide spatially and temporally with ground-based BLM AIM sampling and airplane-based remote sensing surveys by NEON. This portion of the data release presents multispectral data products from low-altitude UAS flights at two dryland sites approximately 40 km south of Moab, Utah. A DJI Matrice 600 Pro UAS with approved government edition firmware carrying an AgEagle MicaSense Altum-PT sensor was flown at an altitude of 31 meters above ground level to capture multispectral imagery. Survey control was established using Propeller AeroPoint temporary ground control points (GCPs) distributed throughout the survey area. GCPs were post-processed with corrections from a concurrently operating Trimble R8s GNSS base station. Multispectral images were processed in photogrammetry software using the GCPs to yield structure-from-motion (SfM) point clouds (.las format), digital surface models (DSM, in .tif format), and 5-band orthomosaics (.tif format). The 5-band orthomosaics were radiometrically calibrated to units of reflectance in each spectral band (blue, green, red, red edge, and near infrared) spanning the visible and near infrared wavelengths, 475 – 842 nm.

In support of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Southwest Biological Science Center researchers, and in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), the USGS National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) conducted uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) remote sensing flights over two BLM Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) plots at the NEON Moab site in Utah for multi-scale carbon sequestration research on public lands. The UAS data collected include natural color, multispectral, and hyperspectral imagery, and lidar to capture diverse information about vegetation and soils on drylands. The first site (“site 1”) features intact sagebrush and was mapped on May 3, 2023. The second site (“site 7”) is located on a grazed rangeland environment and was mapped on May 5, 2023. These UAS surveys were conducted in early May 2023 to coincide spatially and temporally with ground-based BLM AIM sampling and airplane-based remote sensing surveys by NEON. This portion of the data release presents multispectral data products from low-altitude UAS flights at two dryland sites approximately 40 km south of Moab, Utah. A DJI Matrice 600 Pro UAS with approved government edition firmware carrying an AgEagle MicaSense Altum-PT sensor was flown at an altitude of 31 meters above ground level to capture multispectral imagery. Survey control was established using Propeller AeroPoint temporary ground control points (GCPs) distributed throughout the survey area. GCPs were post-processed with corrections from a concurrently operating Trimble R8s GNSS base station. Multispectral images were processed in photogrammetry software using the GCPs to yield structure-from-motion (SfM) point clouds (.las format), digital surface models (DSM, in .tif format), and 5-band orthomosaics (.tif format). The 5-band orthomosaics were radiometrically calibrated to units of reflectance in each spectral band (blue, green, red, red edge, and near infrared) spanning the visible and near infrared wavelengths, 475 – 842 nm.

In support of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Southwest Biological Science Center researchers, and in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), the USGS National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) conducted uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) remote sensing flights over two BLM Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) plots at the NEON Moab site in Utah for multi-scale carbon sequestration research on public lands. The UAS data collected include natural color, multispectral, and hyperspectral imagery, and lidar to capture diverse information about vegetation and soils on drylands. The first site (“site 1”) features intact sagebrush and was mapped on May 3, 2023. The second site (“site 7”) is located on a grazed rangeland environment and was mapped on May 5, 2023. These UAS surveys were conducted in early May 2023 to coincide spatially and temporally with ground-based BLM AIM sampling and airplane-based remote sensing surveys by NEON. This portion of the data release presents raw natural color and multispectral images collected during low-altitude UAS surveys at two dryland sites approximately 40 km south of Moab, Utah. A Skydio X2D UAS was flown at an altitude of 15 meters above ground level to capture natural color red, green, blue (RGB) imagery. A DJI Matrice 600 Pro UAS with approved government edition firmware carrying an AgEagle MicaSense Altum-PT sensor was flown at an altitude of 31 meters above ground level to capture multispectral imagery. The images are provided here in zip files to facilitate bulk download.

In support of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Southwest Biological Science Center researchers, and in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), the USGS National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) conducted uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) remote sensing flights over two BLM Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) plots at the NEON Moab site in Utah for multi-scale carbon sequestration research on public lands. The UAS data collected include natural color, multispectral, and hyperspectral imagery, and lidar to capture diverse information about vegetation and soils on drylands. The first site (“site 1”) features intact sagebrush and was mapped on May 3, 2023. The second site (“site 7”) is located on a grazed rangeland environment and was mapped on May 5, 2023. These UAS surveys were conducted in early May 2023 to coincide spatially and temporally with ground-based BLM AIM sampling and airplane-based remote sensing surveys by NEON. This portion of the data release presents raw natural color and multispectral images collected during low-altitude UAS surveys at two dryland sites approximately 40 km south of Moab, Utah. A Skydio X2D UAS was flown at an altitude of 15 meters above ground level to capture natural color red, green, blue (RGB) imagery. A DJI Matrice 600 Pro UAS with approved government edition firmware carrying an AgEagle MicaSense Altum-PT sensor was flown at an altitude of 31 meters above ground level to capture multispectral imagery. The images are provided here in zip files to facilitate bulk download.

In support of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Southwest Biological Science Center researchers, and in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), the USGS National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) conducted uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) remote sensing flights over two BLM Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) plots at the NEON Moab site in Utah for multi-scale carbon sequestration research on public lands. The UAS data collected include natural color, multispectral, and hyperspectral imagery, and lidar to capture diverse information about vegetation and soils on drylands. The first site (“site 1”) features intact sagebrush and was mapped on May 3, 2023. The second site (“site 7”) is located on a grazed rangeland environment and was mapped on May 5, 2023. These UAS surveys were conducted in early May 2023 to coincide spatially and temporally with ground-based BLM AIM sampling and airplane-based remote sensing surveys by NEON. This portion of the data release presents natural color data products from low-altitude UAS flights at two dryland sites approximately 40 km south of Moab, Utah. A Skydio X2D UAS was flown at an altitude of 15 meters above ground level to capture natural color imagery. Survey control was established using Propeller AeroPoint temporary ground control points (GCPs) distributed throughout the survey area. GCPs were post-processed with corrections from a concurrently operating Trimble R8s GNSS base station. Natural color images were processed in photogrammetry software using the GCPs to yield structure-from-motion (SfM) point clouds (.las format), digital surface models (DSM, in .tif format), and red, green, blue (RGB) 3-band orthomosaics (.tif format).

In support of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Southwest Biological Science Center researchers, and in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), the USGS National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) conducted uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) remote sensing flights over two BLM Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) plots at the NEON Moab site in Utah for multi-scale carbon sequestration research on public lands. The UAS data collected include natural color, multispectral, and hyperspectral imagery, and lidar to capture diverse information about vegetation and soils on drylands. The first site (“site 1”) features intact sagebrush and was mapped on May 3, 2023. The second site (“site 7”) is located on a grazed rangeland environment and was mapped on May 5, 2023. These UAS surveys were conducted in early May 2023 to coincide spatially and temporally with ground-based BLM AIM sampling and airplane-based remote sensing surveys by NEON. This portion of the data release presents natural color data products from low-altitude UAS flights at two dryland sites approximately 40 km south of Moab, Utah. A Skydio X2D UAS was flown at an altitude of 15 meters above ground level to capture natural color imagery. Survey control was established using Propeller AeroPoint temporary ground control points (GCPs) distributed throughout the survey area. GCPs were post-processed with corrections from a concurrently operating Trimble R8s GNSS base station. Natural color images were processed in photogrammetry software using the GCPs to yield structure-from-motion (SfM) point clouds (.las format), digital surface models (DSM, in .tif format), and red, green, blue (RGB) 3-band orthomosaics (.tif format).

In support of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Southwest Biological Science Center researchers, and in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), the USGS National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) conducted uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) remote sensing flights over two BLM Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) plots at the NEON Moab site in Utah for multi-scale carbon sequestration research on public lands. The UAS data collected include natural color, multispectral, and hyperspectral imagery, and lidar to capture diverse information about vegetation and soils on drylands. The first site (“site 1”) features intact sagebrush and was mapped on May 3, 2023. The second site (“site 7”) is located on a grazed rangeland environment and was mapped on May 5, 2023. These UAS surveys were conducted in early May 2023 to coincide spatially and temporally with ground-based BLM AIM sampling and airplane-based remote sensing surveys by NEON. This portion of the data release presents discrete lidar point clouds from low-altitude UAS flights at two dryland sites approximately 40 km south of Moab, Utah. A YellowScan Vx20-100 scanner (laser wavelength 905 nm) was flown at an altitude of 31 meters above ground level on a DJI Matrice 600 Pro UAS with approved government edition firmware. The lidar point clouds were post-processed kinematic (PPK) corrected to a concurrently operating Trimble R8s GNSS base station and each point was assigned Red, Gren, Blue (RGB) image values using corresponding natural color orthomosaics at each site. The point clouds were also point classified using a bare-ground classification scheme (0-Created, never classified; 2-Ground) and exported in .las format.