Baker, Matthew EOakland, Hayley C2021-09-012021-09-012020-01-2012134http://hdl.handle.net/11603/22816Stream restoration is increasingly synonymous with local scale physical channel modification, with the assumption that a certain range of local physical conditions will improve physical and ecological function. These projects often target measures of channel habitat captured in conventional field surveys, which rely on either low-resolution data over broad extents, or high-resolution data over fine scales that must be extended to the sampling reach. Thus, the degree of habitat modification in the restoration process, and associated ecological relevance, may not be fully understood by conventional measures. Advances in drone-based aerial surveying methods allow for continuous, high-resolution measures of channel habitat over broader spatial extents. Methods were developed to extract physical channel habitat features from aerial surveys of restored streams in the Piedmont physiographic province of Maryland and Pennsylvania (chapter 1). Resulting data were realistic in magnitude, pattern and extent (chapter 1). The physical habitat data generated from aerial surveys were extracted in an equivalent manner to data generated from field surveys in spatially paired reaches using two habitat assessment protocols (chapter 2). Spatially paired data were significantly correlated, associated or equivalent for most sampling unit comparisons, and all reach-level comparisons (chapter 2). Restored and unrestored extents were compared at multiple scales to assess differences in variation of physical habitat data (chapter 3). A trend of reduced variation within restored extents was evident, and associated with restoration objectives and catchment characteristics (chapter 3). These data and analyses represent a new approach to assessing physical habitat conditions, which could significantly contribute to understanding ecological outcomes of stream restoration.application:pdffreshwaterhabitatheterogeneityrestorationUAVText