scholarly journals Detecting the Competition between Moso Bamboos and Broad-Leaved Trees in Mixed Forests Using a Terrestrial Laser Scanner

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingjie Yan ◽  
Mingpeng Xia ◽  
Shaohui Fan ◽  
Meichun Zhan ◽  
Fengying Guan
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Structure ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Laser Scanner ◽  
Phyllostachys Pubescens ◽  
Mixed Forests ◽  
Individual Trees ◽  
Convex Hull Algorithm ◽  
Intensity Of Competition ◽  
Multiple Interactions

The growth of individual trees in a forest is affected by many factors, a crucial one being the intensity of competition among trees, because it affects the spatial structure of the forest and is in turn influenced by silvicultural practices. In a mixed forest in particular, the growth of trees is affected by multiple interactions. To analyse the competition between moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens (Pradelle) Mazel ex J.Houz.) and broad-leaved trees in a mixed forest, data were extracted by sampling six spots within such a forest using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS). The convex hull algorithm was used for calculating the overlap volume between the crowns of the broad-leaved trees and the bamboo canopy. Bamboos growing at least 3 m away from any of the broad-leaved trees were the most numerous and the diameter at breast height (DBH) is larger than those growing closer than that, which suggests that broad-leaved trees suppressed the growth of bamboo if they are closer but promote it beyond 3 m up to a point at which the distance is too great for any such effect. The modified Hegyi’s competition index was constructed based on the canopy factor, which may better describe the competitive interaction among the trees and bamboos. Using TLS can enhance our understanding of the competition among trees in mixed forests and help in planning the spatial structure of such forests in general and provide a benchmark for choosing planting distances in particular.

scholarly journals Under-Canopy UAV Laser Scanning Providing Canopy Height and Stem Volume Accurately

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juha Hyyppä ◽  
Xiaowei Yu ◽  
Teemu Hakala ◽  
Harri Kaartinen ◽  
Antero Kukko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Standard Error ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Laser Scanner ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Canopy Height ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Scanning System ◽  
Individual Trees ◽  
Laser Scanning System

Automation of forest field reference data collection has been an intensive research objective for laser scanning scientists ever since the invention of terrestrial laser scanning more than two decades ago. Recently, it has been proposed that such automated data collection providing both the tree heights and stem curves would require a combination of above-canopy UAV point clouds and terrestrial point clouds. In this study, we demonstrate that an under-canopy UAV laser scanning system utilizing a rotating laser scanner can alone provide accurate estimates of the canopy height and the stem volume for the majority of the trees in a boreal forest. To this end, we mounted a rotating laser scanner based on a Velodyne VLP-16 sensor onboard a manually piloted UAV. The UAV was commanded with the help of a live video feed from the onboard camera of the UAV. Since the system was based on a rotating laser scanner providing varying view angles, all important elements such as treetops, branches, trunks, and ground could be recorded with laser hits. In an experiment including two different forest structures, namely sparse and obstructed canopy, we showed that our system can measure the heights of individual trees with a bias of -20 cm and a standard error of 40 cm in the sparse forest and with a bias of -65 cm and a standard error of 1 m in the obstructed forest. The accuracy of the obtained tree height estimates was equivalent to airborne above-canopy UAV surveys conducted in similar forest conditions. The higher underestimation and higher inaccuracy in the obstructed site can be attributed to three trees with a height exceeding 25 m and the applied laser scanning system VLP-16 that had a limited height measurement capacity when it comes to trees taller than 25 m. Additionally, we used our system to estimate the stem volumes of individual trees with a standard error at the level of 10%. This level of error is equivalent to the error obtained when merging above-canopy UAV laser scanner data with terrestrial point cloud data. Future research is needed for testing new sensors, for implementing autonomous operation inside canopies through collision avoidance and navigation through canopies, and for developing robust methods that work also with more complex forest structure. The results show that we do not necessarily need a combination of terrestrial point clouds and point clouds collected using above-canopy UAV systems in order to accurately estimate the heights and the volumes of individual trees.

scholarly journals Under-Canopy UAV Laser Scanning Providing Canopy Height and Stem Volume Accurately

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 856
Author(s):  
Juha Hyyppä ◽  
Xiaowei Yu ◽  
Teemu Hakala ◽  
Harri Kaartinen ◽  
Antero Kukko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Standard Error ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Reference Data ◽  
Laser Scanner ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Canopy Height ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Scanning System ◽  
Individual Trees

The automation of forest field reference data collection has been an intensive research objective for laser scanning scientists ever since the invention of terrestrial laser scanning more than two decades ago. In this study, we demonstrated that an under-canopy UAV laser scanning system utilizing a rotating laser scanner can alone provide accurate estimates of canopy height and stem volume for the majority of trees in a boreal forest. We mounted a rotating laser scanner based on a Velodyne VLP-16 sensor onboard a manually piloted UAV. The UAV was commanded with the help of a live video feed from the onboard camera. Since the system was based on a rotating laser scanner providing varying view angles, all important elements such as treetops, branches, trunks, and ground could be recorded with laser hits. In an experiment including two different forest structures, namely sparse and obstructed canopy, we showed that our system can measure the heights of individual trees with a bias of −20 cm and a standard error of 40 cm in the sparse forest and with a bias of −65 cm and a standard error of 1 m in the obstructed forest. The accuracy of the obtained tree height estimates was equivalent to airborne above-canopy UAV surveys conducted in similar forest conditions or even at the same sites. The higher underestimation and higher inaccuracy in the obstructed site can be attributed to three trees with a height exceeding 25 m and the reduced point density of these tree tops due to occlusion and the limited ranging capacity of the scanner. Additionally, we used our system to estimate the stem volumes of individual trees with a standard error at the level of 10%. This level of error is equivalent to the error obtained when merging above-canopy UAV laser scanner data with terrestrial point cloud data. The results show that we do not necessarily need a combination of terrestrial point clouds and point clouds collected using above-canopy UAV systems in order to accurately estimate the heights and the volumes of individual trees in reference data collection.

scholarly journals Mapping Forest Regeneration from Terrestrial Laser Scans

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gábor Brolly ◽  
Géza Király ◽  
Kornél Czimber
Keyword(s):  
Forest Regeneration ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Laser Scanner ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Forest Growth ◽  
Stem Density ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Mature Trees ◽  
Branching Intensity ◽  
Individual Trees

Abstract Location, spread, abundance and density of forest regeneration are key factors in understanding forest dynamics as well as in operational management of uneven-aged stands. Simulation of forest growth, silviculture and planning of skid road networks require accurate and objective methods for locating forest regeneration. Terrestrial laser scanning has high potential for tree mapping, however, the development of automatic processing methods has been focused on mature trees so far. This study introduces an automatic procedure to locate individual trees with 3-6 meter height from terrestrial laser scanner data. The method has been validated on three sample quadrates representing different stand structures and it succeeded in detecting 79-90% of trees extracted manually from the point cloud. Out of the investigated stand features, stem density had the strongest impact on the performance, while branching intensity slightly affected the detection rate. The results highlight that terrestrial laser scanning has the ability for the quantitative evaluation of regeneration, providing a prospective tool for surveying forests of contiguous cover.

Mit Initialfemeln zum Plenterwald (Essay) | The creation of selection forest using initial femel cut (essay)

2009 ◽  
Vol 160 (6) ◽  
pp. 137-143
Author(s):  
Rudi Kynast
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Black Forest ◽  
Crown Height ◽  
Short Intervals ◽  
Total Growth ◽  
Cost Calculations ◽  
Selection Forest ◽  
Individual Trees

Although selection forests have clear advantages over age-group forests in view of their total growth performance, their net product and their stability, not to mention the sustainability of their beneficial effect, the proportion of this type of forest is insignificantly small in Germany and also in mixed forest in the mountains. It is therefore all the more surprising that scarcely any discernable efforts have been made to increase the proportion of selection forests. For a conversion, an alternative model for the treatment of the stands is adopted, whereby it is no longer the encouragement of the growth to maturity of individual trees in the stand which is aimed for, but rather the transformation of the whole stand to a selection forest using available stand elements and elements created by an early initiation of regeneration. Based on his experience in the forestry district of Kirchzarten in the Black Forest, Germany, the author describes the procedure for a successful conversion. This is to be started as soon as possible, that is to say when the crown height of the trees is about 18 metres and with corresponding usable dimensions, using small group shelter-wood cuts, a so-called initial femel cut. To get the conversion started it is advisable to remove whole groups of predominantly badly situated and overgrown trees. The stand will be additionally structured later through further interventions at short intervals. In the process, here and there really well situated trees will actually be left to stand solitar y, in other places w hol e self-cont aine d groups will b e created and else where valuabl e mixed s tand elements will be selected for permanent preservation, this in order to create a situation in which there are about 35 overstorey trees per hectare. On the basis of his own cost calculations, the author comes to the conclusion that the conversion is, from a financial point of view, superior compared with the age-group forest in that it brings higher proceeds more quickly and more often.

Results of studying the dimensional accuracy of the bases of complete removable prostheses made using 3D printing and traditional technologies

2020 ◽  
pp. 34-39
Author(s):  
Vokulova Yu.A. Vokulova ◽  
E.N. Zhulev
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Traditional Method ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Laser Scanner ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Dimensional Accuracy ◽  
3D Printer ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Average Value ◽  
The Difference

This article presents the results of studying the dimensional accuracy of the bases of complete removable prostheses made using a 3D printer and the traditional method. Bases of complete removable prostheses were made using an intraoral laser scanner iTero Cadent (USA) and a 3D printer Asiga Max UV (Australia). To study the dimensional accuracy of the bases of complete removable prostheses, we used the DentalCAD 2.2 Valletta software. The Nonparametric Wilcoxon W-test was used for statistical analysis of the obtained data. We found that the average value of the difference with the standard for bases made using digital technologies is 0.08744±0.0484 mm. The average value of the difference with the standard for bases made by the traditional method is 0.5654±0.1611 mm. Based on these data, we concluded that the bases of complete removable prostheses made using modern digital technologies (intraoral laser scanning and 3D printer) have a higher dimensional accuracy compared to the bases of complete removable prostheses made using the traditional method with a significance level of p<0.05 (Wilcoxon's W-test=0, p=0.031). Keywords: digital technologies in dentistry, digital impressions, intraoral scanner, 3D printing, ExoCAD, complete removable dentures.

scholarly journals Distribution of the timber quality attribute ‘knot surface’ in logs of Fagus sylvatica L. from pure and mixed forest stands

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Höwler ◽  
Torsten Vor ◽  
Peter Schall ◽  
Peter Annighöfer ◽  
Dominik Seidel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fagus Sylvatica ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Forest Stands ◽  
Species Identity ◽  
Mixed Stands ◽  
Mixed Forests ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Timber Quality ◽  
Positive Effects

AbstractResearch on mixed forests has mostly focused on tree growth and productivity, or resistance and resilience in changing climate conditions, but only rarely on the effects of tree species mixing on timber quality. In particular, it is still unclear whether the numerous positive effects of mixed forests on productivity and stability come at the expense of timber quality. In this study, we used photographs of sawn boards from 90 European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees of mixed and pure forest stands to analyze internal timber quality through the quality indicator knot surface that was quantitatively assessed using the software Datinf® Measure. We observed a decrease in knot surface with increasing distance from the pith as well as smaller values in the lower log sections. Regarding the influence of neighborhood species identity, we found only minor effects meaning that timber qualities in mixed stands of beech and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) tended to be slightly worse compared to pure beech stands.

scholarly journals Estimation of Vegetation-Induced Flow Resistance for Hydraulic Computations Using Airborne Laser Scanning Data

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 1864
Author(s):  
Peter Mewis
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Flow Resistance ◽  
Laser Scanner ◽  
Airborne Laser Scanning ◽  
Density Parameter ◽  
Vegetation Density ◽  
Airborne Laser Scanner ◽  
Airborne Laser ◽  
Bed Roughness ◽  
Available Information

The effect of vegetation in hydraulic computations can be significant. This effect is important for flood computations. Today, the necessary terrain information for flood computations is obtained by airborne laser scanning techniques. The quality and density of the airborne laser scanning information allows for more extensive use of these data in flow computations. In this paper, known methods are improved and combined into a new simple and objective procedure to estimate the hydraulic resistance of vegetation on the flow in the field. State-of-the-art airborne laser scanner information is explored to estimate the vegetation density. The laser scanning information provides the base for the calculation of the vegetation density parameter ωp using the Beer–Lambert law. In a second step, the vegetation density is employed in a flow model to appropriately account for vegetation resistance. The use of this vegetation parameter is superior to the common method of accounting for the vegetation resistance in the bed resistance parameter for bed roughness. The proposed procedure utilizes newly available information and is demonstrated in an example. The obtained values fit very well with the values obtained in the literature. Moreover, the obtained information is very detailed. In the results, the effect of vegetation is estimated objectively without the assignment of typical values. Moreover, a more structured flow field is computed with the flood around denser vegetation, such as groups of bushes. A further thorough study based on observed flow resistance is needed.

scholarly journals Object Oriented Classification for Mapping Mixed and Pure Forest Stands Using Very-High Resolution Imagery

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 2508
Author(s):  
Loredana Oreti ◽  
Diego Giuliarelli ◽  
Antonio Tomao ◽  
Anna Barbati
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Parametric Method ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Mixed Stands ◽  
Mapping Unit ◽  
Mixed Forests ◽  
High Resolution Imagery ◽  
Very High Resolution Imagery ◽  
Very High

The importance of mixed forests is increasingly recognized on a scientific level, due to their greater productivity and efficiency in resource use, compared to pure stands. However, a reliable quantification of the actual spatial extent of mixed stands on a fine spatial scale is still lacking. Indeed, classification and mapping of mixed populations, especially with semi-automatic procedures, has been a challenging issue up to date. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the potential of Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) and Very-High-Resolution imagery (VHR) to detect and map mixed forests of broadleaves and coniferous trees with a Minimum Mapping Unit (MMU) of 500 m2. This study evaluates segmentation-based classification paired with non-parametric method K- nearest-neighbors (K-NN), trained with a dataset independent from the validation one. The forest area mapped as mixed forest canopies in the study area amounts to 11%, with an overall accuracy being equal to 85% and K of 0.78. Better levels of user and producer accuracies (85–93%) are reached in conifer and broadleaved dominated stands. The study findings demonstrate that the very high resolution images (0.20 m of spatial resolutions) can be reliably used to detect the fine-grained pattern of rare mixed forests, thus supporting the monitoring and management of forest resources also on fine spatial scales.

scholarly journals Adjudicating Perspectives on Forest Structure: How Do Airborne, Terrestrial, and Mobile Lidar-Derived Estimates Compare?

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2297
Author(s):  
Jonathon J. Donager ◽  
Andrew J. Sánchez Meador ◽  
Ryan C. Blackburn
Keyword(s):  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Absolute Error ◽  
Forest Monitoring ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Structural Configurations ◽  
Individual Trees

Applications of lidar in ecosystem conservation and management continue to expand as technology has rapidly evolved. An accounting of relative accuracy and errors among lidar platforms within a range of forest types and structural configurations was needed. Within a ponderosa pine forest in northern Arizona, we compare vegetation attributes at the tree-, plot-, and stand-scales derived from three lidar platforms: fixed-wing airborne (ALS), fixed-location terrestrial (TLS), and hand-held mobile laser scanning (MLS). We present a methodology to segment individual trees from TLS and MLS datasets, incorporating eigen-value and density metrics to locate trees, then assigning point returns to trees using a graph-theory shortest-path approach. Overall, we found MLS consistently provided more accurate structural metrics at the tree- (e.g., mean absolute error for DBH in cm was 4.8, 5.0, and 9.1 for MLS, TLS and ALS, respectively) and plot-scale (e.g., R2 for field observed and lidar-derived basal area, m2 ha−1, was 0.986, 0.974, and 0.851 for MLS, TLS, and ALS, respectively) as compared to ALS and TLS. While TLS data produced estimates similar to MLS, attributes derived from TLS often underpredicted structural values due to occlusion. Additionally, ALS data provided accurate estimates of tree height for larger trees, yet consistently missed and underpredicted small trees (≤35 cm). MLS produced accurate estimates of canopy cover and landscape metrics up to 50 m from plot center. TLS tended to underpredict both canopy cover and patch metrics with constant bias due to occlusion. Taking full advantage of minimal occlusion effects, MLS data consistently provided the best individual tree and plot-based metrics, with ALS providing the best estimates for volume, biomass, and canopy cover. Overall, we found MLS data logistically simple, quickly acquirable, and accurate for small area inventories, assessments, and monitoring activities. We suggest further work exploring the active use of MLS for forest monitoring and inventory.

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