scholarly journals Estimating Individual Tree Height and Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) from Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) Data at Plot Level

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangjie Liu ◽  
Jinliang Wang ◽  
Pinliang Dong ◽  
Yun Chen ◽  
Zhiyuan Liu
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Diameter At Breast Height ◽  
Breast Height

scholarly journals Deriving Individual-Tree Biomass from Effective Crown Data Generated by Terrestrial Laser Scanning

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (23) ◽  
pp. 2793
Author(s):  
Yujie Zheng ◽  
Weiwei Jia ◽  
Qiang Wang ◽  
Xu Huang
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Biomass Estimation ◽  
Tree Biomass ◽  
Crown Height ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Cloud Data ◽  
Biomass Equations

Biomass reflects the state of forest management and is critical for assessing forest benefits and carbon storage. The effective crown is the region above the lower limit of the forest crown that includes the maximum vertical distribution density of branches and leaves; this component plays an important role in tree growth. Adding the effective crown to biomass equations can enhance the accuracy of the derived biomass. Six sample plots in a larch plantation (ranging in area from 0.06 ha to 0.12 ha and in number of trees from 63 to 96) at the Mengjiagang forest farm in Huanan County, Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province, China, were analyzed in this study. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) was used to obtain three-dimensional point cloud data on the trees, from which crown parameters at different heights were extracted. These parameters were used to determine the position of the effective crown. Moreover, effective crown parameters were added to biomass equations with tree height as the sole variable to improve the accuracy of the derived individual-tree biomass estimates. The results showed that the minimum crown contact height was very similar to the effective crown height, and an increase in model accuracy was apparent (with R a 2 increasing from 0.846 to 0.910 and root-mean-square error (RMSE) decreasing from 0.372 kg to 0.286 kg). The optimal model for deriving biomass included tree height, crown length from minimum contact height, crown height from minimum contact height, and crown surface area from minimum contact height. The novelty of the article is that it improves the fit of individual-tree biomass models by adding crown-related variables and investigates how the accuracy of biomass estimation can be enhanced by using remote sensing methods without obtaining diameter at breast height.

scholarly journals Exploring the Variability of Tropical Savanna Tree Structural Allometry with Terrestrial Laser Scanning

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 3893
Author(s):  
Linda Luck ◽  
Lindsay B. Hutley ◽  
Kim Calders ◽  
Shaun R. Levick
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
3D Structure ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Tree Architecture ◽  
Allometric Equations ◽  
Environmental Research ◽  
Tree Level ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Monitoring Programs

Individual tree carbon stock estimates typically rely on allometric scaling relationships established between field-measured stem diameter (DBH) and destructively harvested biomass. The use of DBH-based allometric equations to estimate the carbon stored over larger areas therefore, assumes that tree architecture, including branching and crown structures, are consistent for a given DBH, and that minor variations cancel out at the plot scale. We aimed to explore the degree of structural variation present at the individual tree level across a range of size-classes. We used terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to measure the 3D structure of each tree in a 1 ha savanna plot, with coincident field-inventory. We found that stem reconstructions from TLS captured both the spatial distribution pattern and the DBH of individual trees with high confidence when compared with manual measurements (R2 = 0.98, RMSE = 0.0102 m). Our exploration of the relationship between DBH, crown size and tree height revealed significant variability in savanna tree crown structure (measured as crown area). These findings question the reliability of DBH-based allometric equations for adequately representing diversity in tree architecture, and therefore carbon storage, in tropical savannas. However, adoption of TLS outside environmental research has been slow due to considerable capital cost and monitoring programs often continue to rely on sub-plot monitoring and traditional allometric equations. A central aspect of our study explores the utility of a lower-cost TLS system not generally used for vegetation surveys. We discuss the potential benefits of alternative TLS-based approaches, such as explicit modelling of tree structure or voxel-based analyses, to capture the diverse 3D structures of savanna trees. Our research highlights structural heterogeneity as a source of uncertainty in savanna tree carbon estimates and demonstrates the potential for greater inclusion of cost-effective TLS technology in national monitoring programs.

Evaluation of nonlinear equations for predicting diameter from tree height

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 789-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huiquan Bi ◽  
Julian C. Fox ◽  
Yun Li ◽  
Yuancai Lei ◽  
Yong Pang
Keyword(s):  
Prediction Accuracy ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Inverse Function ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Predictive Performance ◽  
Systematic Evaluation ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Breast Height

With the emergence and advancement of airborne laser scanning technology over the past decade, individual tree height can be easily measured over a large area of forests with a comparable degree of accuracy to conventional ground-based methods. In laser scanning based large-scale forest inventories, the need to predict diameter from remotely sensed tree height calls for a systematic evaluation of equation forms as the first step towards a well-developed approach to developing diameter–height equations. This study evaluated more than 30 height–diameter equations in the forest biometrics literature to select candidates for deriving equation forms for diameter–height equations. The evaluation was based on four criteria: (i) the height–diameter function is inversable; (ii) the inverse function is continuous and monotonically increasing over a specified working range of total tree height; (iii) diameter at breast height is equal to zero when tree height equals breast height in the inverse function; and preferably, (iv) the inverse function has an inflection point that is consistent with biological expectations. A total of 12 candidate equation forms were derived, which included five two-parameter and seven three-parameter equations. The estimation properties and predictive performance of these 12 equation forms were further evaluated and compared through repeated sampling and fitting using data from 3581 trees destructively sampled for taper measurements from Pinus radiata D. Don plantations across New South Wales, Australia. Three equation forms, including the constrained Richards, Weibull, and the combined power and exponential function, displayed superior prediction accuracy and estimation properties and so were recommended as the primary equation forms for developing diameter–height equations. The remaining equation forms were marred by either lower prediction accuracy or poorer estimation properties or both. The three recommended equation forms should only serve as basic deterministic specifications upon which other tree and stand variables should be incorporated as predictors to further improve their predictive performance.

scholarly journals THE EFFECT OF WIND ON TREE STEM PARAMETER ESTIMATION USING TERRESTRIAL LASER SCANNING

2016 ◽  
Vol III-8 ◽  
pp. 117-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. T. Vaaja ◽  
J.-P. Virtanen ◽  
M. Kurkela ◽  
V. Lehtola ◽  
J. Hyyppä ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parameter Estimation ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Finnish Meteorological Institute ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Forest Inventories ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Tree Stem

The 3D measurement technique of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) in forest inventories has shown great potential for improving the accuracy and efficiency of both individual tree and plot level data collection. However, the effect of wind has been poorly estimated in the error analysis of TLS tree measurements although it causes varying deformations to the trees. In this paper, we evaluated the effect of wind on tree stem parameter estimation at different heights using TLS. The data consists of one measured Scots pine captured from three different scanning directions with two different scanning resolutions, 6.3 mm and 3.1 mm at 10 m. The measurements were conducted under two different wind speeds, approximately 3 m/s and 9 m/s, as recorded by a nearby weather station of the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Our results show that the wind may cause both the underestimation and overestimation of tree diameter when using TLS. The duration of the scanning is found to have an impact for the measured shape of the tree stem under 9 m/s wind conditions. The results also indicate that a 9 m/s wind does not have a significant effect on the stem parameters of the lower part of a tree (<28% of the tree height). However, as the results imply, the wind conditions should be taken into account more comprehensively in analysis of TLS tree measurements, especially if multiple scans from different positions are registered together. In addition, TLS could potentially be applied to indirectly measure wind speed by observing the tree stem movement.

scholarly journals Allometric Equations for Estimating Aboveground Biomass of Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake in East Nusa Tenggara

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-31
Author(s):  
R Sadono ◽  
◽  
W Wahyu ◽  
F Idris
Keyword(s):  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Allometric Equation ◽  
Allometric Equations ◽  
Accurate Estimation ◽  
Eucalyptus Urophylla ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Eucalyptus Plantation ◽  
Diameter At Breast Height ◽  
Breast Height

Understanding the essential contribution of eucalyptus plantation for industry development and climate change mitigation requires the accurate quantification of aboveground biomass at the individual tree species level. However, the direct measurement of aboveground biomass by destructive method is high cost and time consuming. Therefore, developing allometric equations is necessary to facilitate this effort. This study was designed to construct the specific allometric models for estimating aboveground biomass of Eucalyptus urophylla in East Nusa Tenggara. Forty two sample trees were utilized to develop allometric equations using regression analysis. Several parameters were selected as predictor variables, i.e. diameter at breast height (D), quadrat diameter at breast height combined with tree height (D2H), as well as D and H separately. Results showed that the mean aboveground biomass of E. urophylla was 143.9 ± 19.44 kg tree-1. The highest biomass were noted in stem (80.06%), followed by bark (11.89%), branch (4.69%), and foliage (3.36%). The relative contribution of stem to total aboveground biomass improved with the increasing of diameter class while the opposite trend was recorded in bark, branch, and foliage. The equation lnŶ = lna + b lnD was best and reliable for estimating the aboveground biomass of E. urophylla since it provided the highest accurate estimation (91.3%) and more practical than other models. Referring to these findings, this study concluded the use of allometric equation was reliable to support more efficient forest mensuration in E. urophylla plantation.

scholarly journals THE EFFECT OF WIND ON TREE STEM PARAMETER ESTIMATION USING TERRESTRIAL LASER SCANNING

2016 ◽  
Vol III-8 ◽  
pp. 117-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. T. Vaaja ◽  
J.-P. Virtanen ◽  
M. Kurkela ◽  
V. Lehtola ◽  
J. Hyyppä ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parameter Estimation ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Finnish Meteorological Institute ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Forest Inventories ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Tree Stem

The 3D measurement technique of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) in forest inventories has shown great potential for improving the accuracy and efficiency of both individual tree and plot level data collection. However, the effect of wind has been poorly estimated in the error analysis of TLS tree measurements although it causes varying deformations to the trees. In this paper, we evaluated the effect of wind on tree stem parameter estimation at different heights using TLS. The data consists of one measured Scots pine captured from three different scanning directions with two different scanning resolutions, 6.3 mm and 3.1 mm at 10 m. The measurements were conducted under two different wind speeds, approximately 3 m/s and 9 m/s, as recorded by a nearby weather station of the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Our results show that the wind may cause both the underestimation and overestimation of tree diameter when using TLS. The duration of the scanning is found to have an impact for the measured shape of the tree stem under 9 m/s wind conditions. The results also indicate that a 9 m/s wind does not have a significant effect on the stem parameters of the lower part of a tree (<28% of the tree height). However, as the results imply, the wind conditions should be taken into account more comprehensively in analysis of TLS tree measurements, especially if multiple scans from different positions are registered together. In addition, TLS could potentially be applied to indirectly measure wind speed by observing the tree stem movement.

Individual Tree Parameters Estimation from Terrestrial Laser Scanner Data

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darius Popovas ◽  
Valentas Mikalauskas ◽  
Dominykas Šlikas ◽  
Simonas Valotka ◽  
Tautvydas Šorys
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Laser Scanner ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Parameters Estimation ◽  
Carbon Accounting ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanner ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Diameter At Breast Height ◽  
Crown Diameter ◽  
Breast Height

Tree models and information on the various characteristics of trees and forests are required for forest management, city models, carbon accounting and the management of assets. In order to get precise characteristics and information, tree modelling must be done at individual tree level as it represents the interaction process between trees. For sustainable forest management, more information is needed, however, the traditional methods of investigating forest parameters such as, tree height, diameter at breast height, crown diameter, stem curve and stem mapping or tree location are complex and labour-intensive. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) has been proposed as a suitable technique for mapping of forest biomass. LiDAR can be operated in airborne configuration (Airborne laser scanning) or in a terrestrial setup. Terrestrial Laser Scanner measures forests from below canopy and offers a much more detailed description of the individual trees. The aim of this study is to derive the essential tree parameters for estimation of biomass from terrestrial LiDAR data. Tree height, diameter at breast height, crown diameter, stem curve and tree locations were extracted from Terrestrial Laser Scanner point clouds.

scholarly journals Evaluating Different Methods for Estimating Diameter at Breast Height from Terrestrial Laser Scanning

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Liu ◽  
Yanqiu Xing ◽  
Jialong Duanmu ◽  
Xin Tian
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Diameter At Breast Height ◽  
Breast Height
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