Symposium on Remote Sensing for Resources Development and Environmental Management/Enschede /August 1986 
© 1987Balkema, Rotterdam. ISBN 90 6191 674 7 
1059 
Working Group 4: Renewable resources in rural areas 
J.Besenicar 
Chairman 
Working Group IV conducted 5 plenary sessions in 
the fields of Remote Sensing for soil mapping, -crop 
monitoring, -vegetation mapping, -forestry and -land 
use studies with 19 papers. In addition a business 
meeting was held and 6 poster sessions with 36 pres 
entations. 
Characteristical for the Working Group is its di 
versity of application as a result of the different 
objectives of the work, the initial databases, work 
ing methods and data processing techniques such as: 
- different types of initial data resolution: from 
large scale aerial photography to small scale satel 
lite imagery. 
- different types of data forms: digital data of MSS 
satellite or airborne scanners to analogue photog 
raphy obtained from satellite, airborne and terres 
trial platforms. 
- different types of methods and algorithms used in 
solving the problems: the presented solutions are 
mostly project oriented and only for a few cases 
system oriented. 
- diversity of hard-ware: from simple tools to the 
application of complicated and advanced systems. 
The participants of Working Group IV stressed the 
need for a more uniform systematic and coherent ap 
proach in solving the problems of the practical ap 
plication of Remote Sensing in the different themat 
ic subjects and for the field conditions. 
Recommended is that for the digital processing of 
the data techniques should be developed, which are 
based on personal computers using simple multipur 
pose software. These software programs should enable 
uniform base data management, image processing and 
overlay techniques. 
Also recommended is more emphasis on the economi 
cal and financial aspects of the methods used. The 
participants of Working Group IV have the feeling 
that this subject is insufficiently discussed or 
covered by sufficient papers. 
Recommended is to have a colloquium in October 
1987 in Yugoslavia for Working Group IV and taking 
into account the great importance of renewable re 
sources in rural areas for the solution of ecologi 
cal and food problems to support the idea of prepar 
ing and carrying out the International Conference on 
aerospace methods in ecology and nature protection 
(UNESCO/UNEP) Programme on Man and the Biosphere, 
(MAB), Poushtchino, USSR, 1988.