Application of LiDAR for Measuring Individual Trees and Forest Stands

Doo-Ahn Kwak, Woo-Kyun Lee and Min Ho Son

 

Abstract : Location, height and clear-length of individual tree can be measured directly by LiDAR Remote
Sensing, and dbh(diameter at breast height) can be estimated indirectly by tree height measured by LiDAR. In
addition, stand volume and stand biomass are computed from estimated growth factors. In this study, each
estimated growth factor was compared to the field measurements to validate accuracy. The coefficient of
determination of total tree heights was 0.66 for total trees, 0.68 for Pinus koraiensis, 0.66 for Larix leptolepis
and 0.60 for Quercus spp. The coefficient of determination of clear-length was 0.79 for total trees, 0.73 for
Pinus koraiensis, 0.79 for Larix leptolepis, 0.68 for Quercus spp. The coefficient of determination of dbh
predicted was 0.73 for Pinus koraiensis, 0.73 for Larix leptolepis and 0.85 for Quercus spp. Moreover The
coefficient of determination of basal area was 0.82 for Pinus koraiensis, 0.92 for Larix leptolepis and 0.95 for
Quercus spp. Biomass per ha computed by growth factor using LiDAR was 40,306 dm/ha for Pinus koraiensis,
94,150 tdm/ha for Larix leptolepis and 94,481 tdm/ha for Quercus spp. by species.

 

Key words : biomass, forest survey, light detection and raging(LiDAR), tree height, volume