Certified Forester Practice Exam

Which feature differentiates orthophotographs from regular aerial photographs?

1. Higher altitude capture

2. Removal of displacements

3. Color enhancement

4. Availability to the public

The correct answer is: Removal of displacements

Orthophotographs are distinct from regular aerial photographs primarily due to the removal of displacements caused by factors such as camera tilt and terrain variations. This correction process ensures that the orthophoto accurately represents the earth's surface in a uniform scale, allowing for precise measurements and comparisons to be made directly from the image. Regular aerial photographs may have distortions that affect their usability for geographic analysis, as they cannot provide an accurate scale across the image. In contrast, higher altitude capture, color enhancement, and public availability are features that can apply to both orthophotographs and regular aerial images. While they may enhance or change the presentation of the images, they do not fundamentally alter the geometric integrity that orthophotographs provide by eliminating positional displacements.