Estimation of forest stem volume using multispectral optical satellite and tree height data in combination

Abstract

The accuracy of forest stem volume estimation at stand level was investigated using multispectral optical satellite and tree height data in combination. The stem volumes for the investigated coniferous stands, located in southern Sweden, were in the range of 15–585 m³ ha^?1 with an average stem volume of 266 m³ ha^?1. The results from regression analysis showed a substantial improvement for the combined stem volume estimates compared with using satellite data only. The accuracy in terms of root mean square error (RMSE) was calculated to 11.2% of the average stem volume using SPOT-4 data and tree height data in combination compared with 23.9% using SPOT-4 data only. By replacing SPOT-4 data with Landsat TM data the RMSE was improved from 25.2% to 12.2%. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was performed on the combined stem volume estimates by adding random errors, normally distributed with zero expectations, with standard deviations of 1, 1.5 and 2 m to tree height data. The results showed that the RMSE increased with increasing random tree height error to 15.4%, 18.0% and 19.9% using SPOT-4 data and 16.3%, 19.2% and 21.2% using Landsat TM data. The results imply that multispectral optical satellite data in combination with accurate tree height data could be used for standwise stem volume estimation in forestry applications.     

Forest variable estimation using photogrammetric matching of digital aerial images in combination with a high-resolution DEM

Abstract

The rapid development in aerial digital cameras in combination with the increased availability of high-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) provides a renaissance for photogrammetry in forest management planning. Tree height, stem volume, and basal area were estimated for forest stands using canopy height, density, and texture metrics derived from photogrammetric matching of digital aerial images and a high-resolution DEM. The study was conducted at a coniferous hemi-boreal site in southern Sweden. Three different data-sets of digital aerial images were used to test the effects of flight altitude and stereo overlap on an area-based estimation of forest variables. Metrics were calculated for 344 field plots (10 m radius) from point cloud data and used in regression analysis. Stand level accuracy was evaluated using leave-one-out cross validation of 24 stands. For these stands the tree height ranged from 4.8 to 26.9 m (17.8 m mean), stem volume 13.3 to 455 m³ ha^?1 (250 m³ ha^?1 mean), and basal area from 4.1 to 42.9 m² ha^?1 (27.1 m² ha^?1 mean) with mean stand size of 2.8 ha. The results showed small differences in estimation accuracy of forest variables between the data-sets. The data-set of digital aerial images corresponding to the standard acquisition of the Swedish National Land Survey (Lantmäteriet), showed Root Mean Square Errors (in percent of the surveyed stand mean) of 8.8% for tree height, 13.1% for stem volume and 14.9% for basal area. The results imply that photogrammetric matching of digital aerial images has significant potential for operational use in forestry.     

Prediction of tree height,basal area and stem volume in forest stands using airborne laser scanning

The aim of this study was to develop prediction models using laser scanning for estimation of forest variables at plot level, validate the estimations at stand level (area 0.64 ha) and test the effect of different laser measurement densities on the estimation errors. The predictions were validated using 29 forest stands (80×80 m²), each containing 16 field plots with a 10 m radius. For the best tested case, mean tree height, basal area and stem volume were predicted with a root mean square error of 0.59 m (3% of average value), 2.7 m² ha^?1 (10% of average value) and 31 m³ ha^?1 (11% of average value), respectively, at stand level. There were small differences in terms of prediction errors for different measuring densities. The results indicate that mean tree height, basal area and stem volume can be estimated in small stands with low laser measurement densities producing accuracies similar to traditional field inventories.     

Practical large-scale forest stand inventory using a small-footprint airborne scanning laser

Mean tree height, dominant height, mean diameter, stem number, basal area and timber volume of 116 georeferenced field sample plots were estimated from various canopy height and canopy density metrics derived by means of a small-footprint laser scanner over young and mature forest stands using regression analysis. The sample plots were distributed systematically throughout a 6500 ha study area, and the size of each plot was 232.9 m². Regressions for coniferous forest explained 60–97% of the variability in ground reference values of the six studied characteristics. A proposed practical two-phase procedure for prediction of corresponding characteristics of entire forest stands was tested. Fifty-seven test plots within the study area with a size of approximately 3740 m² each were divided into 232.9 m² regular grid cells. The six examined characteristics were predicted for each grid cell from the corresponding laser data using the estimated regression equations. Average values for each test plot were computed and compared with ground-based estimates measured over the entire plot. The bias and standard deviations of the differences between predicted and ground reference values (in parentheses) of mean height, dominant height, mean diameter, stem number, basal area and volume were ?0.58 to ?0.85 m (0.64–1.01 m), ?0.60 to ?0.99 m (0.67–0.84 m), 0.15–0.74 cm (1.33–2.42 cm), 34–108 ha^?1 (97–466 ha^?1), 0.43–2.51 m² ha^?1 (1.83–3.94 m² ha^?1) and 5.9–16.1 m³ ha^?1 (15.1–35.1 m³ ha^?1), respectively.     

Stand characteristics of mixed oriental beech (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fagus orientalis</Emphasis> Lipsky) stands in the stem exclusion phase,northern Iran

The structure of forest stands changes through developmental phases. This study is carried out in the unmanaged, oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) stands in the north of Iran. The aim of this research was to quantify structural characteristics of stands in the stem exclusion phase using common structural indices, which include mingling, tree–tree distance, stem diameter, and tree height differentiation. According to our measurements from three stands, naturally regenerated stands tend to be mixed in species composition have slightly heterogeneous diameter distributions and uniform tree height. The average distance between trees was 3.3 m. Stocking volume of the stands had an average of 540 m³ ha^?1 and 412 stem ha^?1. Dead wood volume was 24 m³ ha^?1, and as a standing volume, the most frequent species in dead wood pool was oriental beech (F. orientalis) (48 %). The common form of dead trees was snag (41 %). The mean value of mingling and tree-to-tree interval indices revealed that beech was mixed intensively with hornbeam and appears to be a more successful competitor for space and light compared with hornbeam; moreover, we found relatively high evidence of inter-species competition in this phase. A better understanding of stand characteristics in the stem exclusion phase as a critical part of the natural dynamics of forest ecosystems could facilitate predictions about the future changes within the stand.     

Tree mortality after low-intensity prescribed fires in managed Pinus sylvestris stands in southern Finland

Abstract

Tree mortality, its causes, and the input of dead charred wood were studied in 11 managed 30–45-year-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands 1 year after experimental low-intensity prescribed burnings in southern Finland. First, the relationship between fire-induced tree damage and several external variables, e.g. stand density, within-stand wind speed, open-air wind speed, the Finnish Forest Fire Index (FFI) and flame height, was studied. Secondly, the study examined which damage and morphological characteristics best predicted tree mortality. Tree mortality was very variable in the experimental plots, ranging from 0% to 48% on the basis of stem number and from 0% to 41% in terms of wood volume. The input of dead and charred wood decreased with stand age, being 19.4 m³ ha^?1 in 30–35-year-old stands, but only 1.7 m³ ha^?1 in 45-year-old stands. The input of dead wood was on average 10 m³ ha^?1, representing less than 5% of the mean volume before the prescribed fire. The external variables that best explained fire-induced damage were within-stand wind speed, flame height and FFI. Tree mortality was best predicted by charred stem ratio with bark thickness, and by charred stem ratio with tree diameter. The results indicate that prescribed burning that is conducted downwind increases tree mortality and changes subsequent stand structure with increasing within-stand wind speed.     

A comparison of different methods for forest resource estimation using information from airborne laser scanning and CIR orthophotos

This article compares three methods for forest resource estimation based on remote sensing features extracted from Airborne laser scanning and CIR orthophotos. The estimation was made exemplarily for the total stem volume of trees for a given area, measured in cubic metres per hectare [m3 ha⁻¹] (as one of the most important quantitative parameters to characterise a forest stand). The following methods were compared: Regression Analysis (RA), k-NN (nearest neighbour) method and a method that utilises regional yield tables, referred to as the yield table method (YT-method). The estimation of stem volume was examined in a mixed forest in Southern Germany using 300 circular inventory plots, each with a size of 452 m2. Remote sensing features relating to vegetation height and structures were extracted and used as input variables in the different approaches. The accuracy of the estimation was analysed using scatter plots and quantified using absolute and relative root mean square errors (RMSE). The comparison was made for all plots, as well as for averaged plot values located within forest stands that have the same age class. On “plot level” the RMSE yielded 79.79 m3 ha⁻¹ (RA), 81.93 m3 ha⁻¹ (k-NN) and 81.78 m3 ha⁻¹ (YT-method) and for the averaged values 35.75 m3 ha⁻¹ (RA), 35.06 m3 ha⁻¹ (k-NN) and 42.98 m3 ha⁻¹ (YT-method). Advantages and disadvantages, as well as requirements, of the methods are discussed.     

A comparison of agrisilvicultural systems with plantation forestry in the Atlantic Lowlands of Costa Rica

Survival and growth data (ages 0–5 years) are presented for two timber species (Acacia mangium, Cordia alliodora) planted in monocultures or in association with a sequence of agricultural cropsZea mays, Zingiber officinale andEugenia stipitata (a fruit shrub) in the tropical humid Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica. Average annual height and diameter growth rates were 3.2 m and 4.0 cm (C. alliodora), 3.5 m and 3.8 cm (A. mangium).C. alliodora associated with crops gave the greatest productivity with an average total stem volume increment of 19 m³ ha^–1 yr^–1. Root rot ofA. mangium (mainlyRosellinia sp.), leading to tree mortality, was greater in pure plots compared to associated plots.A. mangium can not be recommended for similar sites because of this problem.     

Where to shoot your pilodyn: within tree variation in basic density in plantation Eucalyptus globulus and E. nitens in Tasmania

Longitudinal patterns of within tree variation for basic density were determined for plantation Eucalyptus globulus (ages 5 and 10 years) and E. nitens (ages 5, 10 and 15 years) growing in three geographic areas in Tasmania. Each tree was sampled by taking discs from a combination of percentage heights (0, 10, 20 ___ 70%) and fixed height samples (0.5 m, 0.7 m ___ 1.5 m). At each of the fixed heights, a single pilodyn reading was taken from each of 4 aspects. Weighted whole tree density was calculated from the percentage height samples and used for correlation and regression analysis with the fixed height samples. Both species showed an initial drop in density between the felling cut (zero height) and 0.5 m, followed by a linear increase in density between 10% and 70% of tree height. Slope of fitted regressions were parallel within species but differed significantly between the species (1.14 kg/m³ and 1.62 kg/m³ per 1% increase in height above 10% for E. globulus and E. nitens, respectively). Density at all fixed heights was highly correlated with whole tree values for E. globulus, but results were variable across sites for E. nitens. Both species were found to contain trees which produced aberrant pilodyn readings. For E. globulus, the optimal sampling height was 1.3 m above ground and the mean pilodyn reading was found to predict whole tree density with an accuracy of ±21 kg/m³. For E. nitens, optimal sampling height was 1.5 m above ground. However, pilodyn readings around the stem were not very repeatable and correlations with whole tree density were lower, resulting in the accuracy of prediction of whole tree density being ±26 kg/m³.     

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.     

Response of Three Young Douglas-Fir Plantations to Forest Fertilization with Low Rates of Municipal Biosolids

Abstract

The growth of three young (5-6 years since planting) Douglas-fir plantations fertilized with a single low-rate application of municipal biosolids, ranging from 17-19 dry Mg ha^-1, was studied. Stand measurements showed increases in DBH, height, average and total basal area, average and total volume and average and total dry-weight differences in the biosolids-fertilized vs. control. For instance, average per tree DBH was 14.7% greater than the controls, height by 2.7%, per stem basal area by 27%, per stem average volume by 33%, per stem average dry weight by 38%, basal area per hectare by 28%, volume per hectare by 32% and dry weight per hectare by 36% compared to untreated controls. Comparing differences in volume increases from initial growth periods with the latest growth period indicates that volume increases due to the biosolids treatment are continuing and apparently increasing over time. However, none of these observed differences were statistically significant (0.05 level) due to high variation within and between stands.     

Determination of number of stems in coniferous forest stands by means of aerial photo‐interpretation

Two models for determination of the number of stems per hectare in forest stands (N) from attributes derived by aerial photo‐interpretation were developed. The models relied on the assumption that N could be determined by dividing the total stand volume per hectare with the volume of the “average tree”; defined by stand mean height and the diameter corresponding to mean basal area of a stand. Input variables of the models were stand mean height, crown closure and site quality. Additionally, model II required input of average stand volume per hectare and average mean diameter derived from stratified field sample plot inventories. Material for 143 coniferous stands was used for the testing of the models. The stands were recorded by intensive field measurements. Aerial photographs at the approximate scale of 1:15 000 were used for photo‐interpretation. The N value was underestimated in model I by 5.4–47.0%. The standard deviation for the differences was 15.2–26.2% for mature stands and 41.4–44.2% for young thinning phase stands. For model II, the mean difference between the predicted and observed N value was in the range ‐16.1% to 12.2%.     

造林密度对米老排人工林初期生长的影响

[目的]探讨不同造林密度对米老排人工林生长的影响规律,为米老排人工林定向培育过程中的密度控制提供参考。[方法]以广东省云浮市造林后6年生米老排人工林为研究对象,对不同造林密度(625、833、1 111、1 667、2 500株·hm~(-2))林分平均树高、优势木高、胸径、保留率和枝下高等生长指标进行连续4年调查。[结果]表明:随着造林密度的增大,米老排林分平均胸径、胸径连年生长量、保留率、单株材积和材积连年生长量均显著减小,而枝下高、林分蓄积量和蓄积连年生长量显著增加。在一定密度范围内,造林密度对林分高生长的影响比较小。造林后第6年,密度1 667株·hm~(-2)林分的平均树高最大(11.4 m),优势木高以密度1 111株·hm~(-2)林分的最大(13.3m),树高连年生长量以密度625株·hm~(-2)林分的最大(1.5 m·a~(-1));密度625株·hm~(-2)林分的平均胸径、胸径连年生长量、单株材积和材积连年生长量均最大,分别为14.3 cm、2.5 cm·a~(-1)、0.097 3 m~3和0.038 2 m~3·a~(-1),比密度2 500株·hm~(-2)林分的分别增加27.7%、81.0%、49.0%和82.4%;密度2 500株·hm~(-2)林分的枝下高、蓄积量和蓄积连年生长量均最大,分别为6.0 m、149.4 m~3·hm~(-2)和44.8 m~3·hm~(-2)·a~(-1),分别是密度625株·hm~(-2)林分的2.61、2.52、1.95倍。[结论]分析了造林密度对米老排初期生长的影响,对米老排人工林的培育具有理论指导意义。     

尾叶桉萌芽林留条数量对生长和产量的影响

对 5 5年生尾叶桉实生林砍伐后 ,保留不同萌条数量对其萌芽林生长和产量的影响开展了研究。结果表明 ,定株使桩的存活率明显下降 ,特别是保留单株 ,但保留一定的株数却有利于萌芽林的生长 ;萌芽林的高、径和单株材积生长随保留株数的减少而显著增加 ;3 5年生单位面积蓄积量和出材率 (顶木 )以保留 3株·桩- 1为最好 ,其次为 4株·桩- 1和 2株·桩 - 1,蓄积量分别为 4 5 4 9、4 4 2 1和4 2 5 1m3·hm- 2 ,分别是对照的 131 7%、12 8 0 %和 12 3.0 % ,出材率 (顶木 )分别是对照的 174 .3%、14 8.6 %和 15 5 .4 %。因此 ,在中等地力 ,种植密度为 3m× 2m的尾叶桉萌芽林 ,以纸浆材和顶木为主要经营目的的林分 ,建议其萌芽林的保留株数为 2　 4株·桩 - 1。     

Relationship between shrub cover and available forage in Mediterranean shrublands

Shrublands with kermes oak (Quercus coccifera L.) as a dominant species play an important role in the nutrition of grazing animals in the Mediterranean region during all seasons of the year. Their proper management, however, is inhibited by the lack of easy and inexpensive methods for measuring available forage. In this paper, the spatial distribution of available forage as well as its relationship with shrub cover measured on the ground and in aerial photographs were investigated. The research was conducted in kermes oak shrublands of central Macedonia, Greece. Two-phase sampling was applied by using 1:15,000 aerial photographs to select 47 plots, 0.1 ha each, on an area of 545 ha where shrub cover and available forage (herbage, current year's and total browse) were measured. These measurements were carried out on four shrub cover classes: open (0 to 15%), moderate (16 to 40%), dense (41 to 70%) and very dense (71 to 100%); and three height classes: low (0 to 0.5 m), middle (0.6 to 1.0 m) and tall (1.1 to 1.5 m). High resolution aerial photographs (1:6,000) taken during the year of ground sampling were used to estimate shrub cover and correlate to ground measurement. Estimated cover had a high correlation (r 0.96) with ground measurements in open, moderate and dense shrub stands. The open to dense cover classes had significantly more available forage than the very dense cover class; and the low height class significantly higher than the other two classes. The regression of available forage with shrub cover measured on the ground and on aerial photographs produced non-linear equations with high coefficients of determination (R² > 0.70) only when shrub height up to 0.5 m irrespective of the cover class was considered. It is concluded that shrub cover measured on aerial photographs can be used to predict shrub cover on the ground as well as available forage in kermes oak shrublands provided that the shrubs are not too tall (up to 0.50 m).This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Intra- and inter-clonal tree growth variations of Hevea brasiliensis

We evaluated the effects of planting densities (500, 1,000,1,500 and 2,000 trees·ha-1) on tree growth performance (diameter atbase, diameter at breast height, and clear bole height) of two clones(RRIM 2020 and RRIM 2025) of nine years old plantations of rubber tree(Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg) in Malaysia. For the four planting densities of the two clones, basal area and diameter at breast height declined with increasing planting density. Clear bole heights were greatest at 1,500 trees·ha-1 and lowest at 500 trees·ha-1 for the clone RRIM 2020, andat 2,000 trees·ha-1 and 500 trees·ha-1 for clone RRIM 2025. We conclude that the ideal planting density is 2,000 trees·ha-1 for obtaining high volume of wood production and 500 trees·ha-1 for high wood quality.     

基于树高和树冠因子的立木材积模型研究

[目的]由于激光雷达技术已经能准确测定立木树高及相关树冠因子,应用该技术建立基于树高和树冠因子的立木材积模型,为激光技术在森林蓄积估计中提供技术支撑.[方法]利用云杉、冷杉、栎树、桦树4个树种组的3 010株实测样木数据,分析了立木材积与胸径、树高、树冠因子之间的相关关系;并通过对数回归方法构建了基于树高和树冠因子的立木材积模型,用确定系数R²和平均预估误差MPE等6项指标对模型进行评价.[结果]表明,立木材积与单一因子之间的相关,以胸径最为紧密,其次是树高,再次是冠长和冠幅.基于树高和树冠因子的立木材积模型中,以树高和冠幅作为解释变量的二元模型效果较好,再增加冠长因子的三元模型改进不大.云杉、冷杉、栎树、桦树4个树种组基于树高冠幅的立木材积模型,其R²分别为0.81、0.80、0.76和0.77,MPE分别为4.7%、5.3%、5.4%和5.3%,模型预估精度均能达到95%左右.[结论]本文对材积与林木因子之间相关关系的定量分析,建立了云杉、冷杉、栎树、桦树4个树种的立木材积模型,模型预估精度高.为激光雷达技术定量估测森林参数提供了依据.     

Influence of precommercial thinning grade on branch diameter and crown ratio in Pinus sylvestris in southern Sweden

Precommercial thinning is regarded as one of the most important measures for influencing timber quality in stands of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). The present study considers the influence of both thinning intensity and tree height at the time of thinning on diameter of the thickest branch and crown ratio. A total of 115 plots (either naturally regenerated, planted or sown, and either thinned down to 528–8000 stems?ha^?1 or untreated) included in 20 sites in southern Sweden were analysed. The average tree height after thinning varied from 1.2 to 8.3?m. An increasing number of remaining stems resulted in a reduction in branch diameter, although the reduction appeared to be only minor if the number of stems after thinning was more than 3000 stems?ha^?1. It was found that late thinning reduced the diameter of the thickest branch. The crown ratio decreased with stand height, number of stems after thinning and average height at thinning. The results were consistent for all trees and for the 500 thickest trees per hectare.     

Estimating Stem Volume and Basal Area in Forest Compartments by Combining Satellite Image Data with Field Data

The weighted k - nearest neighbour (kNN) method was used for estimating stem volume (m3 ha?¹) and basal area (m2 ha?¹) on a compartment level (average 19 ha) by combining satellite image data with measurements from Swedish National Forest (NFI) inventory plots. In the kNN method each estimation location (target plot) is assigned a value that is an average, which is weighted, of the attribute data from the k closest reference plots (NFI plots). The distance between target and reference plot was measured on different scales, which were transforms of spectral values and/or ancillary data. The standard error (assuming bias with no trend) of stem volume estimates in the compartments was 36% using only spectral data. This estimation accuracy improved to 17% if site index, age of the forest and mean tree height (ancillary data) were known for the compartments. Low volumes were overestimated and high volumes underestimated. This bias was reduced if ancillary data were added but was also dependent on the transform of the original scales.     

Determination of mean diameter by basal area in stands of picea abies and pinus sylvestris in southeastern Norway by means of aerial photographs

Mean diameter by basal area (d_g) is an important stand variable for long‐term economic forecasts of forest holdings. In order to use stand‐by‐stand surveys based on aerial photo interpretation as the data basis for forecasts, d_g has to be determined. The objective was to develop and test a regression function for d_g in mature stands of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) applicable in southeastern Norway. A study of 700 plots was used to estimate a function for d_g . An additive model was found to be most suitable. The independent variables were potential yield capacity, Lorey's mean tree height, crown closure determined by ocular estimation by means of aerial photographs, and the product of potential yield capacity and crown closure. The R² value was 0.604 and the coefficient of variation was 10.8%. The regression fitted most parts of the calibration data quite well, but it may overestimate the mean diameter in pure spruce stands by 1–2%, and underestimate the diameter in pure pine stands by 3%. For mixed coniferous stands the regression seems satisfactory. Testing by means of an independent data set showed systematic errors of 3–23%. The systematic errors were due partly to calibration problems in connection with the ocular crown closure estimation.