At our geo information systems department, habitat-type mapping has been conducted for many years on the basis of evaluating stereoscopic aerial images.

Among our clients at home and in foreign countries are cities and communities, rural districts, communal associations, sectorial planning offices of the regional states, ministries of the environment as well as administrations of natural and national reserves.

The application of special color-infrared films (CIR) is useful in habitat-type mapping supported by aerial imaging. CIR aerial images are particularly suited as vegetation land-covers display a markedly increased differentiated reflection in the near infrared region as compared to the green tones visible to the human eye. Hence special habitat properties (e.g. soil moisture) or vitality damages to an area can be differentiated.

Geographers, biologists, and landscape planers working for the Hansa Luftbild Group dispose of many years of profound knowledge when it comes to evaluating thematic aerial images and mapping plant societies in the field. By working in various areas of unspoiled nature and owing to their ability to utilize different cartographic codes (e.g. habitat type lists of the individual regional states) they possess the necessary experience and know-how to familiarize themselves rapidly and unerringly with a new project area.

The evaluation of aerial images is performed stereoscopically by applying special evaluation devices and/or on high-resolution computer screen worksites. Onscreen digitalization is the method of choice for evaluations conducted by means of digital ortho photos. In the process of digitalization, a vector database is created from area line and point elements. The elements are encoded depending on the type of cartography applied.

In habitat-type mapping digitalization is essential for the utilization of data in a geo information system (GIS). Processing data with GIS permits a variety of applications, such as comprehensive queries and analytical functions (e.g. search and select functions, balances and statistical evaluations). Polygon overlays and buffer functions conflict enable, for example, superimpositions and conflict analyses involving other attributes.

The application of GIS also provides a variety of possibilities for the presentation of cartographical results. Maps of habitat types can be provided either by local work stations or in the shape of an internet-based solution available to a larger user group. On account of the functions of digital cartography GIS also enables the production of thematic maps, e.g. as color plots or for producing reproductions in print.