photos. Ciesla concluded that "...ultra-small-scale color - IR photographs 
comprise a potential tool for detecting and mapping this type of damage...(total 
defoliation)...as long as it is restricted to nearly pure stands of host type 
with little or no herbaceous vegetation in the under-storey to mask feeding 
injury". Harris, (1974), noted that "...boundaries and intensities of a variety 
of forest pest infestations can also be delineated on color photographs at some 
of the smallest scales (about 1:137,000) available, and at least some infesta 
tions that contrast well with surrounding forests can also be seen on ERTS-1 
imagery." Beaubien and Jobin (1974) took advantage of such contrast to map 
eastern hemlock looper (Lambdina f. fiseellaria (Gn.)) killed balsam fir {Abies 
balsamea (L.) Mill) on Anticosti Island, Canada, from ERTS-1 imagery. Murtha 
(1973c) showed examples of delineation of SO 2 damage on ERTS-1 imagery. Again, 
the primary reason for being able to map the damage comes from initial a priori 
knowledge, and contrasts between affected and unaffected vegetation as it is 
recorded in various regions of the spectrum by the multi-spectral scanner aboard 
the satellite. 
DISCUSSION 
The preceeding examples have demonstrated that a capability exists 
via remote sensing techniques and interpretation ability to transfer detection 
and mapping of vegetation damage - (tree mortality and defoliation) from the 
research status to the operational status. It is the considered opinion of 
this author that vegetation damage surveys for all intents and purposes can 
be made operational! The constraints are timing of imagery acquisition, econ 
omics, and the ability of the interpreter. He must know what to look for. 
Why haven’t remote sensing damage surveys become more common place? 
Several reasons can be speculated upon. Perhaps the most important factors are 
a need for more effective communication and acceptance of new techniques. To 
date, it has been the responsibility of the research community to simply publish 
reports of their investigations. All too frequently, the reports are only read 
by a select group of other researchers. The responsibility of the research 
worker to "sell" his findings or techniques to the people who need to know has 
virtually never existed. Perhaps it should. The attitude of staying with an 
old technique because it is familiar also has an effect. If the scientist had 
the responsibility to "sell" his techniques, perhaps new ideas would be more 
readily accepted. 
Another reason has been caused by a degree of "bandwagoning". Re 
search scientists and others have initially over-emphasized and over-reacted 
to a new product, be it a new film, scanner, or airborne platform as the total 
answer to all problems. The harm has come because of a tendency to avoid doing 
the necessary homework, becoming familiar with the product, and hence familiar 
with its limitations, and also because of the quick rewards of researching 
a new item, thus avoiding the "hard" selling job mentioned above. 
With respect to interpretation of damage to vegetation, "per se" 
emphasis should concentrate on damage assessment. In commercial forest areas, 
volume lost from timber stands is important. To date we are barely beyond