Comparison of Forest Attributes Derived from two Terrestrial Lidar Sysstems

Falls Church

2013

S. 245-257

Bandaufführung

181881

Terrestrial lidar is an emerging technology for deriving forest attributes, including conventional inventory and canopy characterizations. However, little is known about the influence of scanner specifications on derived forest parameters. We vompared to TLW systems at two sites in British Columbia. Common scanning benchmarks and identical algorithms were used to obtain estimates of tree diamter, position, and canopy charcteristics. Visualization fo range images and point clouds showed clear differences, even though both scanners were relatively high-resolution instruments. These translated into quantifiable differences in impulse penetration, characterization of stems and crowns far from the scan location, and gap fraction. Differences between scanners in estimates of effective plant area index were greater than differences between sites. Both scanners provided a detailed digital model of ofrest structure, and gross structural characterizations were relatively robust; but comparison of canopy density metrics may require consideration of scanner attributes.