Abstract
As three-dimensional wall-to-wall information on forest structure, ALS echoes provide information on the growing stock and canopy structure. Even though the ALS echo heights are associated with the dimensions of trees, a theoretical model to relate ALS data with interesting forest attributes is missing. The recorded observation of echo height can be viewed as an outcome of a complex process mixing several random sub-processes related to the forest and the atmosphere in a non-trivial way. The forest-related processes include those generating stand density, tree heights, tree locations, tree crown shapes, and the internal structure of tree crowns. This chapter presents our recent work on development of a theoretical model for ALS echo heights. Furthermore, extensions are presented to take into account randomness in tree crown shape, to incorporate the penetration of laser pulses into tree crowns, and to develop the model for mixed stands.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bailey R, Dell T (1973) Quantifying diameter distributions with the Weibull function. For Sci 19:97–104
Casella G, Berger RL (2002) Statistical inference, 2nd edn. Duxbury, Pacific Grove
Gaveau DLA, Hill RA (2003) Quantifying canopy height underestimation by laser pulse penetration in small-footprint airborne laser scanning data. Can J Remote Sens 29:650–657
Grover ST, Kucharick CJ, Norman JM (1999) Direct and indirect estimation of leaf area index fAPAR and net primary production of terrestrial ecosystems. Remote Sens Environ 70:29–51
Illian J, Penttinen A, Stoyan D, Stoyan H (2008) Analysis and modelling of spatial point patterns: from spatial data to knowledge. Wiley, New York
Junttila V, Maltamo M, Kauranne T (2008) Sparse Bayesian estimation of forest stand characteristics from airborne laser scanning. For Sci 54:543–552
Lim K, Treitz P, Wulder M, St-Onge B, Flood M (2003) Lidar remote sensing of forest structure. Prog Phys Geogr 27:88–106
Magnussen S, Boudewyn P (1998) Derivations of stand heights from airborne laser scanner data with canopy-based quantile estimators. Can J For Res 28:1016–1031
Magnussen S, Eggermont P, LaRicca VN (1999) Recovering tree heights from airborne laser scanner data. For Sci 45:407–422
Mehtätalo L (2006) Eliminating the effect of overlapping crowns from aerial inventory estimates. Can J For Res 36:1649–1660
Mehtätalo L, Nyblom J (2009) Estimating forest attributes using observations of canopy height: a model-based approach. For Sci 55:411–422
Mehtätalo L, Nyblom J (2012) A model-based approach for ALS inventory: application for square grid spatial pattern. For Sci 58:106–118
Mehtätalo L, Virolainen A, Tuomela J, Nyblom J (2010) A model-based approach for estimating the height distribution of eucalyptus plantations using low-density ALS data. In: Proceedings of SilviLaser 2010, the 10th annual conference on lidar applications for assessing forest ecosystems. Freiburg, Germany
Mehtätalo L, Virolainen A, Packalen P, Tuomela J (forthcoming) A model-based approach for estimating tree height distribution using airborne laser scanning data with and without field measurement data (Manuscript)
Næsset E (1997) Determination of mean tree height of forest stands using airborne laser scanner data. ISPRS J Photogramm Eng Remote Sens 52(2):49–56
Næsset E, Gobakken T, Holmgren J, Hyyppä H, Hyyppä J, Maltamo M, Nilsson M, Olsson H, Persson Å, Söderman U (2004) Laser scanning of forest resources: the Nordic experience. Scand J For Res 19:482–499
Nelson RF (1997) Modeling forest canopy heights: the effects of canopy shape. Remote Sens Environ 60:327–334
Nelson RF, Krabill WB, Maclean GA (1984) Determining forest canopy characteristics using airborne laser data. Remote Sens Environ 15:201–212
Ni-Meister W, Jupp DLB, Dubayah R (2001) Modeling lidar waveforms in heterogeneous and discrete canopies. IEEE Trans Geosci Remote Sens 39:1943–1958
Pinheiro JC, Bates DM (2000) Mixed-effects models in S and S-Plus. Springer, New York
Rautiainen M, Stenberg P (2005) Simplified tree crown model using standard forest mensuration data for Scots pine. Agric For Meteorol 128:123–129
Solodukhin VI, Zhukov Y, Mazhugin IN, Bokova TK, Polezhai VM (1977) Vozmozhosti lazernoi aeros emka profilei lesa (Possibilities of laser arial photography of forest profiles). Lesn Khoz 10:53–58
Stoyan D, Kendall WS, Mecke J (1995) Stochastic geometry and its applications, 2nd edn. Wiley, Chichester, 436 p
Sun G, Ranson KJ (2000) Modeling lidar returns from forest canopies. IEEE Trans Geosci Remote Sens 38:2617–2626
Virolainen A (2010) Estimation of forest characteristics using mathematical models. MSc thesis, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
Virolainen A, Mehtätalo L, Korhonen L, Korpela I (forthcoming) Modelling crown envelope shape and penetration of laser pulse into tree crown (Manuscript)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Mehtätalo, L., Nyblom, J., Virolainen, A. (2014). A Model-Based Approach for the Recovery of Forest Attributes Using Airborne Laser Scanning Data. In: Maltamo, M., Næsset, E., Vauhkonen, J. (eds) Forestry Applications of Airborne Laser Scanning. Managing Forest Ecosystems, vol 27. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8663-8_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8663-8_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-017-8662-1
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-8663-8
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)