Modeling intra-crown and intra-canopy interactions in red maple: assessment of light transfer on carbon dioxide and water vapor exchange

Daily and seasonal net photosynthesis (Anet), transpiration (E), absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (Qa) and light-use efficiency (epsilonc) in a red maple container nursery were simulated with MAESTRA, a three-dimensional canopy model. Effects of canopy heterogeneity were simulated by imposing changes in crown spacing. The light transfer sub-model, a distribution model of incident, direct, diffuse and scattered radiation within MAESTRA, was validated against field measurements of light interception on an intra-crown scale. In the container nursery, we found that a fiber-optic-based method of integrating photosynthetically active radiation (Q) was more suitable for crown-layer light transfer measurements and adjustments than either orthogonal line or individual quantum sensor measurements. The model underestimated intercepted Q by 9.3, 18 and 11.1% for crown layers 1, 2 and 3, respectively; however, there were linear relationships between model estimates and observations made with each of the three measurement methods. We used the validated and parameterized light transfer model to assess intra-crown and intra-canopy light transfer on a layer, crown and canopy basis, and investigated effects of tree size ratio and tree spacing interactions on Anet, E, Qa and epsilonc in the container nursery. Heterogeneous crown and canopy photosynthesis were predicted to exceed values for a uniform canopy under space-limiting conditions. Tree size ratio had large effects on Anet, E, Qa and epsilonc when light to lower-canopy layers was limited by inadequate space between crowns. Increasing Qa at lower-crown layers had the largest impact on whole-crown and whole-canopy Anet, E, Qa and epsilonc. Increases in canopy productivity led to increased water use. Simulations of heterogeneous stands with adequate soil water indicated that light absorption is maximized under space-limiting conditions as a canopy crown moves toward heterogeneity. Nursery and plantation productivity per unit land area was optimized by tactical placement of trees of several sizes, but this was accompanied by increased canopy water use.     

Measuring loblolly pine crowns with drone imagery through deep learning

In modeling forest stand growth and yield,crown width,a measure for stand density,is among the parameters that allows for estimating stand timber volumes.However,accurately measuring tree crown size in the field,in particu-lar for mature trees,is challenging.This study demonstrated a novel method of applying machine learning algorithms to aerial imagery acquired by an unmanned aerial vehi-cle (UAV) to identify tree crowns and their widths in two loblolly pine plantations in eastern Texas,USA.An ortho mosaic image derived from UAV-captured aerial photos was acquired for each plantation (a young stand before canopy closure,a mature stand with a closed canopy).For each site,the images were split into two subsets:one for training and one for validation purposes.Three widely used object detection methods in deep learning,the Faster region-based convolutional neural network (Faster R-CNN),You Only Look Once version 3 (YOLOv3),and single shot detection(SSD),were applied to the training data,respectively.Each was used to train the model for performing crown recogni-tion and crown extraction.Each model output was evaluated using an independent test data set.All three models were successful in detecting tree crowns with an accuracy greater than 93％,except the Faster R-CNN model that failed on the mature site.On the young site,the SSD model performed the best for crown extraction with a coefficient of determination(R2) of 0.92,followed by Faster R-CNN (0.88) and YOLOv3(0.62).As to the mature site,the SSD model achieved a R2 as high as 0.94,follow by YOLOv3 (0.69).These deep leaning algorithms,in particular the SSD model,proved to be successfully in identifying tree crowns and estimat-ing crown widths with satisfactory accuracy.For the pur-pose of forest inventory on loblolly pine plantations,using UAV-captured imagery paired with the SSD object deten-tion application is a cost-effective alternative to traditional ground measurement.     

Effects of mutual shading of tree crowns on prediction of photosynthetic light-use efficiency in a coastal Douglas-fir forest

Gross primary production (GPP) is often expressed as the product of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation and the efficiency (epsilon) with which a plant community uses absorbed radiation in biomass production. Light-use efficiency is affected by environmental stresses, and varies diurnally and seasonally. Uncertainty about epsilon can be a serious limitation when modeling GPP. An important determinant of epsilon is the amount and type of solar radiation incident on a canopy, because an abundance of light can trigger a photo-protective reaction, diminishing GPP. The radiation regime in a forest canopy is determined by the predominant sky conditions and by mutual shading of tree crowns. Shading effects, producing shifts in the amount of incident direct and diffuse solar radiation, have been largely ignored, however, because they depend on forest structure and are difficult to measure. We describe a new approach for estimating changes in mutual canopy shading throughout the day and year based on a canopy structure model derived from light detection and ranging (LiDAR). Proportions of canopy shading were then combined with eddy covariance data to assess the explanatory power for variance in epsilon by regression tree analysis over half-hourly, daily and weekly time scales. The approach explained between 75 and 97% of variance in epsilon, representing an increase of between 5 and 16% compared with models driven solely by meteorological variables.     

Comparative analysis of photosynthetic light environments within the crowns of juvenile rain forest trees

Irradiances within the crowns of saplings of two tropical tree species were simultaneously compared in primary rain forest in Costa Rica. The species examined, Minquartia guianensis Aubl., a relatively slow-growing, canopy species, and Pithecellobium pedicellare (DC) Benth., a less-tolerant, emergent species, have different crown and leaf display patterns. Crown light environments were assessed by placing arrays of quantum sensors among leaves and recording at 5-s intervals for seven days with microloggers. Median total daily quantum flux densities for saplings of both species were less than 2% of full sun and did not differ significantly. More than 90% of the measurements within the crowns of these saplings were less than 25 micromol m(-2) s(-1). Spatial variability of photon flux densities within sapling crowns was similar for the two species despite differences in leaf display patterns. In saplings of both species, photon flux densities varied significantly over the relatively short distances within crowns and from day to day. Height growth of both species was significantly correlated with total daily photon flux densities and with percentage of full sun. However, only the tolerant species, Minquartia, showed a significant correlation between diameter growth and crown light environment.     

林冠结构、辐射传输与冠层光合作用研究综述

林冠内辐射的分布常用泊松分布、二项分布等来描述,主要取决于叶片的空间散布和状态。冠形与辐射分布和冠层光合作用密切相关,影响程度与地理纬度、太阳高度、林分密度等有关。叶片方位角为随机分布通常是合理的假设。叶倾角分布对叶片尺度的辐射吸收和光合作用是十分重要的,但在冠层尺度上的影响则小得多,并与其它冠层结构因素有关。由于叶倾角的测定十分困难,因而球面和椭球面叶倾角分布是常用的假设。不同的树冠分布方式及在     

Leaf traits in relation to crown development, light interception and growth of elite families of loblolly and slash pine

Crown architecture and size influence leaf area distribution within tree crowns and have large effects on the light environment in forest canopies. The use of selected genotypes in combination with silvicultural treatments that optimize site conditions in forest plantations provide both a challenge and an opportunity to study the biological and environmental determinants of forest growth. We investigated tree growth, crown development and leaf traits of two elite families of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and one family of slash pine (P. elliottii Mill.) at canopy closure. Two contrasting silvicultural treatments -- repeated fertilization and control of competing vegetation (MI treatment), and a single fertilization and control of competing vegetation treatment (C treatment) -- were applied at two experimental sites in the West Gulf Coastal Plain in Texas and Louisiana. At a common tree size (diameter at breast height), loblolly pine trees had longer and wider crowns, and at the plot-level, intercepted a greater fraction of photosynthetic photon flux than slash pine trees. Leaf-level, light-saturated assimilation rates (A(max)) and both mass- and area-based leaf nitrogen (N) decreased, and specific leaf area (SLA) increased with increasing canopy depth. Leaf-trait gradients were steeper in crowns of loblolly pine trees than of slash pine trees for SLA and leaf N, but not for A(max). There were no species differences in A(max), except in mass-based photosynthesis in upper crowns, but the effect of silvicultural treatment on A(max) differed between sites. Across all crown positions, A(max) was correlated with leaf N, but the relationship differed between sites and treatments. Observed patterns of variation in leaf properties within crowns reflected acclimation to developing light gradients in stands with closing canopies. Tree growth was not directly related to A(max), but there was a strong correlation between tree growth and plot-level light interception in both species. Growth efficiency was unaffected by silvicultural treatment. Thus, when coupled with leaf area and light interception at the crown and canopy levels, A(max) provides insight into family and silvicultural effects on tree growth.     

Canopy development in young sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) stands in relation to changes with age in crown morphology and structure

In young sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) stands, crown shape (crown length/crown diameter) ratio, average branch inclination, and spatial density of foliage in the crown increased with stand age. Within crowns, foliage distribution increased from the apex downward and, until crown closure, reached a maximum near the crown base. After crown closure, the maximum occurred near the middle of the crown. In each stand, foliage distribution in the canopy showed almost the same vertical change over time as it did in individual crowns. The vertical distribution of foliage in the canopy moved upward with stand age, accompanied by an increase in canopy depth and leaf mass. The shape of the vertical distribution was almost symmetrical between the upper and lower halves in the closed stands, although slightly skewed downward. The logarithm of average spatial density decreased linearly as cumulative leaf mass increased with distance from the top of the canopy. The total cross-sectional area of the crowns exceeded the stand area from the middle of the canopy downward in the closed stands because of crown overlap. However, partly because of changes in crown morphology and structure, the increase in leaf mass with stand age did not always cause more severe crown competition.     

Thinning,fertilization, and crown position interact to control physiological responses of loblolly pine

To examine physiological responses to thinning, fertilization, and crown position, we measured net photosynthesis (P(n)), transpiration (E), vapor pressure difference (VPD), stomatal conductance (g(s)), and xylem pressure potential (Psi(1)) between 0930 and 1130 h under ambient conditions in the upper and lower crowns of a 13-year-old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantation six years (1994) after the treatments were applied. Photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and air temperature (T(a)) within the canopy were also recorded. Needle P(n) of thinned trees was significantly enhanced by 22-54% in the lower crown, because canopy PPFD increased by 28-52%. Lower crown foliage of thinned plots also had higher E and g(s) than foliage of unthinned plots, but thinning had no effect on needle Psi(1) and predawn xylem pressure potential (0430-0530 h; Psi(pd)). Tree water status did not limit P(n), E and g(s) during the late-morning measurements. Fertilization significantly decreased within-canopy PPFD and T(a). Needle Psi(1) was increased in fertilized stands, whereas P(n), E and g(s) were not significantly altered. Upper crown foliage had significantly greater PPFD, P(n), VPD, g(s), E, and more negative Psi(1) than lower crown foliage. In both crown positions, needle P(n) was closely related to g(s), PPFD and T(a) (R(2) = 0.77 for the upper crown and 0.82 for the lower crown). We conclude that (1) silvicultural manipulation causes microclimate changes within the crowns of large trees, and (2) needle physiology adjusts to the within-crown environmental conditions.     

Crown plasticity in mixed forests—Quantifying asymmetry as a measure of competition using terrestrial laser scanning

Interspecific competition is a key process determining the dynamics of mixed forest stands and influencing the yield of multispecies tree plantations. Trees can respond to competitive pressure from neighbors by crown plasticity, thereby avoiding competition. We employed a high-resolution ground-based laser scanner to analyze the 3-dimensional extensions and shape of the tree crowns in a near-natural broad-leaved mixed forest in order to quantify the direction and degree of crown asymmetry of 15 trees (Fagus sylvatica, Fraxinus excelsior, Carpinus betulus) in detail. We also scanned the direct neighbors and analyzed the distance of their crown centres and the crown shape with the aim to predict the crown asymmetry of the focal tree from competition-relevant attributes of its neighbors. It was found that the combination of two parameters, one summarizing the size of the neighbor (DBH) and one describing the distance to the neighbor tree (HD), was most suitable for characterizing the strength of the competitive interaction exerted on a target tree by a given neighbor. By summing up the virtual competitive pressure of all neighbors in a single competitive pressure vector, we were able to predict the direction of crown asymmetry of the focal tree with an accuracy of 96° on the full circle (360°).The competitive pressure model was equally applicable to beech, ash and hornbeam trees and may generate valuable insight into competitive interactions among tree crowns in mixed stands, provided that sufficiently precise data on the shape and position of the tree crowns is available. Multiple-aspect laser-scanning proved to be an accurate and practicable approach for analyzing the complex 3-dimensional shape of the tree crowns, needed to quantify the plasticity of growth processes in the canopy. We conclude that the laser-based analysis of crown plasticity offers the opportunity to achieve a better understanding of the dynamics of canopy space exploration and also may produce valuable advice for the silvicultural management of mixed stands.     

基于FCM和分水岭算法的无人机影像中林分因子提取

【目的】研究高精度小型无人机获取林分调查因子方法,将林分调查因子在低空无人机影像上识别并提取出来,获取树高、冠径等测树因子,建立林分因子测量方法,实现经济、高效、快捷、精准的森林资源调查和监测,及时掌握森林资源及相关林分因子的时空变化特征。【方法】以东北林业大学城市林业示范基地樟子松人工林为研究对象,以多旋翼无人机影像为数据源,基于FCM聚类算法和分水岭分割算法以及形态学运算、阈值分割、图像平滑、灰度化、二值化等一系列数字图像处理技术,提取樟子松人工林林分因子。FCM聚类算法和阈值分割法用于提取树梢标记图像,分水岭分割算法对树梢标记图像进行迭代处理从而获得单木树冠分割图像,根据单木树冠分割结果提取单木特征进而计算各林分因子值。【结果】在林地提取中,根据影像的颜色特征绿度分割成功地将林地部分与非林地部分分离开来,确定单木树冠分割范围。在单木树冠分割中,阈值分割法和FCM聚类算法均可有效将树梢标记从林地图像中提取出来;将基于标记的分水岭分割算法用于单木树冠分割取得较好效果,大多数单木树冠被单独分割出来,但某些区域仍然存在一定的欠分割或过分割问题。在林分因子提取中,提取的林分因子包括林分郁闭度、林地面积、立木株数和平均冠幅,其中林分郁闭度的测量精度为96.67%,林地面积的测量精度为81.23%,立木株数和平均冠幅的测量精度与单木树冠分割中的树梢提取方法(阈值分割法和FCM聚类算法)及分水岭分割中的2个参数(形态学腐蚀的结构元素大小和中值滤波的窗口大小)有关。针对2种树梢提取方法,分别进行参数组合试验,结果显示2种树梢提取方法使用适当参数组合所得各林分因子测量精度均在80%以上,平均测量精度均在90%以上,其中阈值分割法的最高平均测量精度为94.49%,FCM聚类算法的最高平均测量精度为93.17%。【结论】利用无人机拍摄的人工林影像进行森林资源调查,将先进的计算机科学技术和无人机技术应用到林业领域中,可有效提高森林资源调查的效率和精度。本研究提出的林分因子提取方法适用于高郁闭度林分,测量精度满足实际需求。     

Changes in shoot allometry with increasing tree height in a tropical canopy species,Elateriospermum tapos

Allometry of shoot extension units (hereafter termed "current shoots") was analyzed in a Malaysian canopy species, Elateriospermum tapos Bl. (Euphorbiaceae). Changes in current shoot allometry with increasing tree height were related to growth and maintenance of tree crowns. Total biomass, biomass allocation ratio of non-photosynthetic to photosynthetic organs, and wood density of current shoots were unrelated to tree height. However, shoot structure changed with tree height. Compared with short trees, tall trees produced current shoots of the same mass but with thicker and shorter stems. Current shoots with thin and long stems enhanced height growth in short trees, whereas in tall trees, thick and short current shoots may reduce mechanical and hydraulic stresses. Furthermore, compared with short trees, tall trees produced current shoots with more leaves of lower dry mass, smaller area, and smaller specific leaf area (SLA). Short trees adapted to low light flux density by reducing mutual shading with large leaves having a large SLA. In contrast, tall trees reduced mutual shading within a shoot by producing more small leaves in distal than in proximal parts of the shoot stem. The production of a large number of small leaves promoted light penetration into the dense crowns of tall trees. All of these characteristics suggest that the change in current shoot structure with increasing tree height is adaptive in E. tapos, enabling short trees to maximize height growth and tall trees to maximize light capture.     

Vegetation and weather explain variation in crown damage within a large mixed-severity wildfire

The 2002 Biscuit Fire burned through more than 200,000 ha of mixed-conifer/evergreen hardwood forests in southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. The size of the fire and the diversity of conditions through which it burned provided an opportunity to analyze relationships between crown damage and vegetation type, recent fire history, geology, topography, and regional weather conditions on the day of burning. We measured pre- and post-fire vegetation cover and crown damage on 761 digital aerial photo-plots (6.25 ha) within the unmanaged portion of the burn and used random forest and regression tree models to relate patterns of damage to a suite of 20 predictor variables. Ninety-eight percent of plots experienced some level of crown damage, but only 10% experienced complete crown damage. The median level of total crown damage was 74%; median damage to conifer crowns was 52%. The most important predictors of total crown damage were the percentage of pre-fire shrub-stratum vegetation cover and average daily temperature. The most important predictors of conifer damage were average daily temperature and “burn period,” an index of fire weather and fire suppression effort. The median level of damage was 32% within large conifer cover and 62% within small conifer cover. Open tree canopies with high levels of shrub-stratum cover were associated with the highest levels of tree crown damage, while closed canopy forests with high levels of large conifer cover were associated with the lowest levels of tree crown damage. Patterns of damage were similar within the area that burned previously in the 1987 Silver Fire and edaphically similar areas without a recent history of fire. Low-productivity sites on ultramafic soils had 92% median crown damage compared to 59% on non-ultramafic sites; the proportion of conifer cover damaged was also higher on ultramafic sites. We conclude that weather and vegetation conditions — not topography — were the primary determinants of Biscuit Fire crown damage.     

Multiple attribute decision making for individual tree detection using high-resolution laser scanning

A canopy height model (CHM) is a standard LiDAR-derived product for deriving relevant forest inventory information, including individual tree positions, crown boundaries and plant density. Several image-processing techniques for individual tree detection from LiDAR data have been extensively described in literature. Such methods show significant performance variability depending on the vegetation characteristics of the monitored forest. Moreover, over regions of high vegetation density, existing algorithms for individual tree detection do not perform well for overlapping crowns and multi-layered forests. This study presents a new time and cost-efficient procedure to automatically detect the best combination of the morphological analysis for reproducing the monitored forest by estimating tree positions, crown boundaries and plant density from LiDAR data. The method needs an initial calibration phase based on multi attribute decision making-simple additive weighting (MADM-SAW). The model is tested over three different vegetation patterns: two riparian ecosystems and a small watershed with sparse vegetation. The proposed approach allows exploring the dependences between CHM filtering and segmentation procedures and vegetation patterns. The MADM architecture is able to self calibrate, automatically finding the most accurate de-noising and segmentation processes over any forest type. The results show that the model performances are strongly related to the vegetation characteristics. Good results are achieved over areas with a ratio between the average plant spacing and the average crown diameter (TCI) greater than 0.59, and plant spacing larger than the remote sensing data spatial resolution. The proposed algorithm is thus shown a cost effective tool for forest monitoring using LiDAR data that is able to detect canopy parameters in complex broadleaves forests with high vegetation density and overlapping crowns and with consequent significant reduction of the field surveys, limiting them over only the calibration site.     

无人机RGB影像中人工林单木位置的提取

从无人机RGB影像中提取单木位置时,由于树冠与非树冠植被的颜色相似,以及树冠之间存在粘连的问题,导致单木位置提取精度不高。针对这些问题,提出一种结合冠层高度模型(CHM)和形态学细化算法的人工林单木位置提取方法。首先根据无人机RGB影像生成数字正射影像(DOM)、数字高程模型(DEM)、数字表面模型(DSM),利用可见光波段差异植被指数(VDVI)对DOM进行植被与非植被的分离;其次利用DSM和DEM构建人工林区的CHM,从高程差异上将树冠与非树冠植被进行分离;最后,为提高单木位置提取精度,利用形态学图像细化算法去除树冠之间的粘连,提取单木位置并进行精度验证。以昆明理工大学呈贡校区内的一片人工林为试验区域,分别采用本研究方法和直接基于VDVI的方法对人工林区单木位置进行提取。本研究方法提取的单木位置准确率为91.67%,漏提率为8.33%,错提率为0.24%;而直接基于VDVI提取的单木位置准确率为88.05%,漏提率为11.95%,错提率为21.58%。试验结果表明,本研究方法提取的人工林单木位置精度更高。     

Crown plasticity and neighborhood interactions of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in an old-growth forest

Competition for canopy space is a process of major importance in forest dynamics. Although virgin and old-growth European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests in Europe have been studied for many years, there are to date no studies of individual-tree crown plasticity and the way this is influenced by local neighborhood interactions in these forests. In this study, we analyzed crown plasticity and local neighborhood interactions of individual trees in the upper canopy of the old-growth beech forests of Serrahn, northeast Germany. In a 2.8-ha sample plot, we measured crown radii of all upper canopy trees and analyzed the direction and extent of crown asymmetry. Size, relative position, and distance of neighboring trees were used to construct vectors of neighborhood asymmetry within different distances from target trees. The crowns of beech trees showed strong morphological plasticity. Mean absolute and relative displacement of crown centers from the stem base were 1.95 m and 0.37, respectively. Circular–circular rank correlation coefficients between the direction of crown displacement and the direction of neighborhood pressure showed that trees strongly positioned their crowns away from local neighbors. Highest correlation coefficients were obtained when basal area and relative position of neighboring trees within a radial distance of 12 m were considered. Clark and Evans index and Ripley’s K-function showed that crowns were more regularly distributed than stems. Projected canopy cover was about 10% higher than canopy cover with simulated circular crowns. We conclude that the crowns of older beech trees have a high ability to plastically respond to changes in the local canopy conditions, enabling very effective exploitation of canopy space.     

Capturing diversity and interspecific variability in allometries: A hierarchical approach

There is growing recognition of the role of mechanistic scaling laws in shaping ecological pattern and process. While such theoretical relationships explain much of the variation across large scales, at any particular scale there is important residual variation that is left unexplained among species, among individuals within a species, and within individuals themselves. Key questions remain on what explains this variability and how we can apply this information in practice, in particular to produce estimates in high-diversity systems with many rare and under-sampled species. We apply hierarchical Bayes statistical techniques to data on crown geometry from diverse temperate forests in order to simultaneously model the differences within and among species. We find that tree height, canopy depth, and canopy radius are affected by both successional stage and wood mechanical strength, while tree height conforms to the predicted 2/3 power relationship. Furthermore, we show that hierarchical modeling allows us to constrain the allometries of rare species much more than traditional methods. Finally, crown radius was shown to vary substantially more within individuals than among individuals or species, suggesting that the capacity for local light foraging and crown plasticity exerts the dominant control on tree crowns.     

Stand biometry and leaf area distribution in an old olive grove at Andria, southern Italy

The objectives of this paper were (1) to provide general biometry data for an 80-year-old olive (Olea europea L., cv. Coratina) grove in Andria, southern Italy, and (2) to compare different methods for estimating leaf area distributions. Stand biometry was represented by a stocking density of 132 trees ha^?1, mean spacing of 8.7 m and mean social area (proportional to spacing and tree size) of about 76 m² per tree. Trunk total circumference averaged 110 cm and after subtraction of missing or dead parts of stems averaged 81 cm, projected area of crowns averaged 17.7 m² and the mean tree height was 4.9 m. Leaf distribution was evaluated using calibrated ground-based side photographs through image analysis and through using a simple canopy-layer model (considering hollow volume within tree crowns) and double-Gaussian curves. The mean leaf size was about 5 cm² (distributed in a log-normal manner over the range of 2 to 12 cm²). Considering whole tree crowns, the mean leaf density was about 2.6 m²m^?3; the maximum leaf area occurred in canopy layers between 1.5 to 3 m, tailing with a steeper slope to the crown base and a less steep slope to the tree-top. The foliated volume of olive crowns (mean 33.2 m³) contained on average 145 thousand leaves of the total area of 72.6 m². The corresponding leaf area index on the stand level (LAI _grove = 0.96), was rather low due to low stocking density. However when taking into account only the projected crown areas (and avoiding free space between trees), the mean LAI reached about 3.5 (range from 1–7). The radial pattern of leaf distribution derived from image analysis indicated peak LAI _rad values at a distance from the stem of about 60 to 70% of crown radius in trees of different size. The applicability of different approaches to the estimation of the necessary allometric parameters is discussed.     

营造白桦人工林最佳初植密度研究

冠幅与胸径呈正相关,初植密度直接影响到郁闭的早晚和郁闭时冠幅的大小,找出白桦经济成熟时的胸径与冠幅之间的相关关系,推断最佳初植密度。     

Spatial partitioning of biomass and diversity in a lowland Bolivian forest: Linking field and remote sensing measurements

Large-scale inventories of forest biomass and structure are necessary for both understanding carbon dynamics and conserving biodiversity. High-resolution satellite imagery is starting to enable structural analysis of tropical forests over large areas, but we lack an understanding of how tropical forest biomass links to remote sensing. We quantified the spatial distribution of biomass and tree species diversity over 4 ha in a Bolivian lowland moist tropical forest, and then linked our field measurements to high-resolution Quickbird satellite imagery. Our field measurements showed that emergent and canopy dominant trees, being those directly visible from nadir remote sensors, comprised the highest diversity of tree species, represented 86% of all tree species found in our study plots, and contained the majority of forest biomass. Emergent trees obscured 1–15 trees with trunk diameters (at 1.3 m, diameter at breast height (DBH)) ≥20 cm, thus hiding 30–50% of forest biomass from nadir viewing. Allometric equations were developed to link remotely visible crown features to stand parameters, showing that the maximum tree crown length explains 50–70% of the individual tree biomass. We then developed correction equations to derive aboveground forest biomass, basal area, and tree density from tree crowns visible to nadir satellites. We applied an automated tree crown delineation procedure to a high-resolution panchromatic Quickbird image of our study area, which showed promise for identification of forest biomass at community scales, but which also highlighted the difficulties of remotely sensing forest structure at the individual tree level.     

Mapping of snow-damaged trees based on bitemporal airborne LiDAR data

The use of multitemporal LiDAR data in forest-monitoring applications has been so far largely unexplored. In this work, we aimed to develop and test a simple method for the detection of snow-induced canopy changes by employing bitemporal LiDAR data acquired in 2006–2010. Our study area was located in southern Finland (62°N, 24°E), where snow-induced damage occurred in 10 permanent Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)-dominated plots in winter 2009–2010. For the detection of snow-damaged crowns, we developed a ?CHM method by contrasting bitemporal LiDAR canopy height models (CHMs) and analyzing the resulting difference image, using binary image operations to extract the damaged crowns. Furthermore, we examined the structural and spatial factors that could explain snow damage at the individual tree level. The ?CHM method developed is based on two threshold parameters, i.e., the required height difference in the contrasted CHMs and the minimum plausible area of damage. When testing the performance of ?CHM method, we found that the plot-level omission error rates were 19–75%, while the commission error rates were 0–21%. Furthermore, the relative estimation accuracy of the damaged crown projection area (DCPA) ranged from ?16.4 to 5.4%. The observed damage could be explained at tree level by stem tapering, relative tree size, and local stand density. To conclude, ?CHM method developed constitutes a potential tool for the monitoring of structural canopy changes in the dominant tree layer if dense multitemporal LiDAR data are available.