Eliminating the effect of overlapping crowns from aerial inventory estimates

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 1649-1660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauri Mehtätalo

When a forest stand is inventoried from aerial photographs or with the use of laser scanners, only those trees that are not covered by a crown of a taller tree can be observed. This means that the probability of a tree being observable from the air depends on its relative height among the trees in the stand and on the crown areas of the taller trees. This study derives a mathematical formula for the probability of a tree being observable from the air according to certain assumptions about the censoring process in a forest stand where trees are randomly located without spatial autocorrelation in tree size. After presenting this formula, different approaches are proposed for the correction of the censoring effect upon the observed distribution of crown areas. The methods could change the aim of individual-tree recognition from finding all trees of the stand to finding a set of trees for which the stated assumptions about the censoring process are valid as far as possible. The methods performed well in a demonstration with simulated, error-free data sets, for which all stated assumptions were valid.

1974 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Monserud ◽  
Alan R. Ek

The problem of edge bias arising in the computation of individual tree competition in stand growth simulation models is discussed. The problem arises from difficulty in characterizing tree size and spatial patterns beyond the edge of the simulation plot. Various methods for reducing this bias are reviewed along with related assumptions and major sources of error. Methods which involve shifting the simulation plot image to form a set of border plots are judged best on the basis of likely bias reduction and the relative simplicity of introduced spatial pattern periodicity.


Author(s):  
Karolina Parkitna ◽  
Grzegorz Krok ◽  
Stanisław Miścicki ◽  
Krzysztof Ukalski ◽  
Marek Lisańczuk ◽  
...  

Abstract Airborne laser scanning (ALS) is one of the most innovative remote sensing tools with a recognized important utility for characterizing forest stands. Currently, the most common ALS-based method applied in the estimation of forest stand characteristics is the area-based approach (ABA). The aim of this study was to analyse how three ABA methods affect growing stock volume (GSV) estimates at the sample plot and forest stand levels. We examined (1) an ABA with point cloud metrics, (2) an ABA with canopy height model (CHM) metrics and (3) an ABA with aggregated individual tree CHM-based metrics. What is more, three different modelling techniques: multiple linear regression, boosted regression trees and random forest, were applied to all ABA methods, which yielded a total of nine combinations to report. An important element of this work is also the empirical verification of the methods for estimating the GSV error for individual forest stand. All nine combinations of the ABA methods and different modelling techniques yielded very similar predictions of GSV for both sample plots and forest stands. The root mean squared error (RMSE) of estimated GSV ranged from 75 to 85 m3 ha−1 (RMSE% = 20.5–23.4 per cent) and from 57 to 64 m3 ha−1 (RMSE% = 16.4–18.3 per cent) for plots and stands, respectively. As a result of the research, it can be concluded that GSV modelling with the use of different ALS processing approaches and statistical methods leads to very similar results. Therefore, the choice of a GSV prediction method may be more determined by the availability of data and competences than by the requirement to use a particular method.


2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans-Erik Andersen

Abstract Airborne laser scanning (also known as light detection and ranging or LIDAR) data were used to estimate three fundamental forest stand condition classes (forest stand size, land cover type, and canopy closure) at 32 Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) plots distributed over the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. Individual tree crown segment attributes (height, area, and species type) were derived from the three-dimensional LIDAR point cloud, LIDAR-based canopy height models, and LIDAR return intensity information. The LIDAR-based crown segment and canopy cover information was then used to estimate condition classes at each 10-m grid cell on a 300 × 300-m area surrounding each FIA plot. A quantitative comparison of the LIDAR- and field-based condition classifications at the subplot centers indicates that LIDAR has potential as a useful sampling tool in an operational forest inventory program.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2384
Author(s):  
Roland Filzwieser ◽  
Vujadin Ivanišević ◽  
Geert J. Verhoeven ◽  
Christian Gugl ◽  
Klaus Löcker ◽  
...  

Large parts of the urban layout of the abandoned Roman town of Bassianae (in present-day Serbia) are still discernible on the surface today due to the deliberate and targeted quarrying of the Roman foundations. In 2014, all of the town's intramural (and some extramural) areas were surveyed using aerial photography, ground-penetrating radar, and magnetometry to analyze the site's topography and to map remaining buried structures. The surveys showed a strong agreement between the digital surface model derived from the aerial photographs and the geophysical prospection data. However, many structures could only be detected by one method, underlining the benefits of a complementary archaeological prospection approach using multiple methods. This article presents the results of the extensive surveys and their comprehensive integrative interpretation, discussing Bassianae's ground plan and urban infrastructure. Starting with an overview of this Roman town's research history, we present the details of the triple prospection approach, followed by the processing, integrative analysis, and interpretation of the acquired data sets. Finally, this newly gained information is contrasted with a plan of Roman Bassianae compiled in 1935.


1973 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Moore ◽  
Carl A. Budelsky ◽  
Richard C. Schlesinger

A new competition index, modified Area Potentially Available (APA), was tested in a complex unevenaged stand composed of 19 different hardwood species. APA considers tree size, spatial distribution, and distance relationships in quantifying intertree competition and exhibits a strong correlation with individual tree basal area growth. The most important characteristic of APA is its potential for evaluating silvicultural practices.


Author(s):  
J.-F. Hullo

We propose a complete methodology for the fine registration and referencing of kilo-station networks of terrestrial laser scanner data currently used for many valuable purposes such as 3D as-built reconstruction of Building Information Models (BIM) or industrial asbuilt mock-ups. This comprehensive target-based process aims to achieve the global tolerance below a few centimetres across a 3D network including more than 1,000 laser stations spread over 10 floors. This procedure is particularly valuable for 3D networks of indoor congested environments. In situ, the use of terrestrial laser scanners, the layout of the targets and the set-up of a topographic control network should comply with the expert methods specific to surveyors. Using parametric and reduced Gauss-Helmert models, the network is expressed as a set of functional constraints with a related stochastic model. During the post-processing phase inspired by geodesy methods, a robust cost function is minimised. At the scale of such a data set, the complexity of the 3D network is beyond comprehension. The surveyor, even an expert, must be supported, in his analysis, by digital and visual indicators. In addition to the standard indicators used for the adjustment methods, including Baarda’s reliability, we introduce spectral analysis tools of graph theory for identifying different types of errors or a lack of robustness of the system as well as <i>in fine</i> documenting the quality of the registration.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-62
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Buśko

Abstract The paper presents procedures for determining market values of forest real properties, with particular emphasis placed on the forest stand. The mixed-approach valuation procedure - land valuation index method - was analyzed. The practical part of the work regarding the valuation of the forest stand introduces the various techniques of valuation and acquisition of data on forest resources used, i.e.: index-based valuation approach and stock survey approach. The subject of the research is part of a forest property, which represents an assessment area, typical of the southern part of Poland, located in the Tenczynek Forest Division. There is a forest management plan for the analyzed property which, together with the assessment descriptions, was used as one of the sources of data for valuation. The second source of data for valuation were direct field surveys, i.e.: geodetic surveys for determining the assessment area and the stock survey approach with individual tree assessment with respect to data on the stand. Based on the research, it may be concluded that both valuation techniques and methods used to capture data on forest resources significantly affect the final value of forest properties. The market value of the stand, determined by the index-based valuation approach, demonstrates a significant difference when compared to the value of the stand determined by the stock survey approach. The forest management plan should only be used as a supplementary material and only to identify site types of forests by property valuers and, partially, together with economic maps, to determine the boundaries of assessment areas.


2019 ◽  
pp. 1624-1644
Author(s):  
Gabriele Nolè ◽  
Rosa Lasaponara ◽  
Antonio Lanorte ◽  
Beniamino Murgante

This study deals with the use of satellite TM multi-temporal data coupled with statistical analyses to quantitatively estimate urban expansion and soil consumption for small towns in southern Italy. The investigated area is close to Bari and was selected because highly representative for Italian urban areas. To cope with the fact that small changes have to be captured and extracted from TM multi-temporal data sets, we adopted the use of spectral indices to emphasize occurring changes, and geospatial data analysis to reveal spatial patterns. Analyses have been carried out using global and local spatial autocorrelation, applied to multi-date NASA Landsat images acquired in 1999 and 2009 and available free of charge. Moreover, in this paper each step of data processing has been carried out using free or open source software tools, such as, operating system (Linux Ubuntu), GIS software (GRASS GIS and Quantum GIS) and software for statistical analysis of data (R). This aspect is very important, since it puts no limits and allows everybody to carry out spatial analyses on remote sensing data. This approach can be very useful to assess and map land cover change and soil degradation, even for small urbanized areas, as in the case of Italy, where recently an increasing number of devastating flash floods have been recorded. These events have been mainly linked to urban expansion and soil consumption and have caused loss of human lives along with enormous damages to urban settlements, bridges, roads, agricultural activities, etc. In these cases, remote sensing can provide reliable operational low cost tools to assess, quantify and map risk areas.


2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 158-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Remeš

This paper deals with the transformation of pure even-aged forest stands to mixed and more uneven-aged stands on an example of selected even-aged Norway spruce stands in the School Forest Enterprise (SFE) in Kostelec nad Čern&yacute;mi lesy. A forest stand where individual tree felling was used as the main method of forest stand regeneration was chosen as a conversion example. The main criterion of tree maturity is the culmination of mean volume increment of a single tree. The analyses confirmed a very high variability in the growth potential of individual trees. The potential and actual increment was strongly influenced by the stand position of tree and by crown release. These results show a high potential level of tree growth even at the age of 120 years. From 30% to 9% of all trees on particular experimental plots achieved felling maturity.


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