Single tree biomass modelling using airborne laser scanning

Accurate forest biomass mapping methods would provide the means for e.g. detecting bioenergy potential, biofuel and forest-bound carbon. The demand for practical biomass mapping methods at all forest levels is growing worldwide, and viable options are being developed. Airborne laser scanning (ALS) is a promising forest biomass mapping technique, due to its capability of measuring the three-dimensional forest vegetation structure. The objective of the study was to develop new methods for tree-level biomass estimation using metrics derived from ALS point clouds and to compare the results with field references collected using destructive sampling and with existing biomass models. The study area was located in Evo, southern Finland. ALS data was collected in 2009 with pulse density equalling approximately 10 pulses/m². Linear models were developed for the following tree biomass components: total, stem wood, living branch and total canopy biomass. ALS-derived geometric and statistical point metrics were used as explanatory variables when creating the models. The total and stem biomass root mean square error per cents equalled 26.3% and 28.4% for Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), and 36.8% and 27.6% for Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.), respectively. The results showed that higher estimation accuracy for all biomass components can be achieved with models created in this study compared to existing allometric biomass models when ALS-derived height and diameter were used as input parameters. Best results were achieved when adding field-measured diameter and height as inputs in the existing biomass models. The only exceptions to this were the canopy and living branch biomass estimations for spruce. The achieved results are encouraging for the use of ALS-derived metrics in biomass mapping and for further development of the models.     

Estimating aboveground and organ biomass of plant canopies across the entire season of rice growth with terrestrial laser scanning

Non-destructive and accurate estimation of crop biomass is crucial for the quantitative diagnosis of growth status and timely prediction of grain yield. As an active remote sensing technique, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) has become increasingly available in crop monitoring for its advantages in recording structural properties. Some researchers have attempted to use TLS data in the estimation of crop aboveground biomass, but only for part of the growing season. Previous studies rarely investigated the estimation of biomass for individual organs, such as the panicles in rice canopies, which led to the poor understanding of TLS technology in monitoring biomass partitioning among organs. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of TLS in estimating the biomass for individual organs and aboveground biomass of rice and to examine the feasibility of developing universal models for the entire growing season. The field plots experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018 and involved different nitrogen (N) rates, planting techniques and rice varieties. Three regression approaches, stepwise multiple linear regression (SMLR), random forest regression (RF) and linear mixed-effects (LME) modeling, were evaluated in estimating biomass with extensive TLS and biomass data collected at multiple phenological stages of rice growth across the entire season. The models were calibrated with the 2017 dataset and validated independently with the 2018 dataset.The results demonstrated that growth stage in LME modeling was selected as the most significant random effect on rice growth among the three candidates, which were rice variety, growth stage and planting technique. The LME models grouped by growth stage exhibited higher validation accuracies for all biomass variables over the entire season to varying degrees than SMLR models and RF models. The most pronounced improvement with a LME model was obtained for panicle biomass, with an increase of 0.74 in R² (LME: R² = 0.90, SMLR: R² = 0.16) and a decrease of 1.15 t/ha in RMSE (LME: RMSE =0.79 t/ha, SMLR: RMSE =2.94 t/ha). Compared to SMLR and RF, LME modeling yielded similar estimation accuracies of aboveground biomass for pre-heading stages, but significantly higher accuracies for post-heading stages (LME: R² = 0.63, RMSE =2.27 t/ha; SMLR: R² = 0.42, RMSE =2.42 t/ha; RF: R² = 0.57, RMSE =2.80 t/ha). These findings implied that SMLR was only suitable for the estimation of biomass at pre-heading stages and LME modeling performed remarkably well across all growth stages, especially for post-heading. The results suggest coupling TLS with LME modeling is a promising approach to monitoring rice biomass at post-heading stages at high accuracy and to overcoming the saturation of canopy reflectance signals encountered in optical remote sensing. It also has great potential in the monitoring of other crops in cloud-cover conditions and the instantaneous prediction of grain yield any time before harvest.     

用地基激光雷达提取单木结构参数——以白皮松为例

以白皮松(Pinus bungeana Zucc)为研究对象,针对地基激光雷达TLS扫描的3维点云数据在单株木垂直方向的分布特征,提出了一种基于体元化方法的树干覆盖度变化检测方法,获取单木枝下高;然后根据获取的枝下高引入2维凸包算法获取垂直方向分层树冠轮廓,并计算树冠体积和冠幅;同时获取的单木参数还有胸径与树高。结果表明:单木枝下高的估测精度较高,R2与RMSE分别为0.97 m和0.21 m;胸径估测结果的R2与RMSE分别为0.79 cm和1.07 cm;采用逐步线性回归方法建立单木树冠体积与其他单木参数的相关关系,模型变量包括冠幅、叶子填充树冠长度和胸径,样本数为20,模型的R2与RMSE分别是0.967 m3和2.64 m3。本文方法能较准确地估测枝下高,TLS数据具有对树冠结构3维建模的潜力。     

利用地面激光扫描数据提取单木结构参数

针对现有提取单木结构参数的方法精度不高的现状,文章研究利用地面三维激光扫描数据提取单木的高度、胸径和冠幅,特别是将RANSAC算法用于圆拟合,提高了胸径的反演精度。最后利用野外实测数据进行验证,并比较分析了Hough变换和RANSAC算法在提取胸径中的差异。结果表明,本文方法提取的单木参数精度较高;并且无论从相关系数、平均残差还是均方根误差等方面,RANSAC算法提取的胸径精度均高于Hough变换方法。     

Accuracy of tree diameter estimation from terrestrial laser scanning by circle-fitting methods

This study compares the accuracies of diameter at breast height (DBH) estimations by three initial (minimum bounding box, centroid, and maximum distance) and two refining (Monte Carlo and optimal circle) circle-fitting methods The circle-fitting algorithms were evaluated in multi-scan mode and a simulated single-scan mode on 157 European beech trees (Fagus sylvatica L.). DBH measured by a calliper was used as reference data. Most of the studied circle-fitting algorithms significantly underestimated the mean DBH in both scanning modes. Only the Monte Carlo method in the single-scan mode significantly overestimated the mean DBH. The centroid method proved to be the least suitable and showed significantly different results from the other circle-fitting methods in both scanning modes. In multi-scan mode, the accuracy of the minimum bounding box method was not significantly different from the accuracies of the refining methods The accuracy of the maximum distance method was significantly different from the accuracies of the refining methods in both scanning modes. The accuracy of the Monte Carlo method was significantly different from the accuracy of the optimal circle method in only single-scan mode. The optimal circle method proved to be the most accurate circle-fitting method for DBH estimation from point clouds in both scanning modes.     

Aboveground total and green biomass of dryland shrub derived from terrestrial laser scanning

Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), a dominant shrub species in the sagebrush-steppe ecosystem of the western US, is declining from its historical distribution due to feedbacks between climate and land use change, fire, and invasive species. Quantifying aboveground biomass of sagebrush is important for assessing carbon storage and monitoring the presence and distribution of this rapidly changing dryland ecosystem. Models of shrub canopy volume, derived from terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) point clouds, were used to accurately estimate aboveground sagebrush biomass. Ninety-one sagebrush plants were scanned and sampled across three study sites in the Great Basin, USA. Half of the plants were scanned and destructively sampled in the spring (n = 46), while the other half were scanned again in the fall before destructive sampling (n = 45). The latter set of sagebrush plants was scanned during both spring and fall to further test the ability of the TLS to quantify seasonal changes in green biomass. Sagebrush biomass was estimated using both a voxel and a 3-D convex hull approach applied to TLS point cloud data. The 3-D convex hull model estimated total and green biomass more accurately (R² = 0.92 and R² = 0.83, respectively) than the voxel-based method (R² = 0.86 and R² = 0.73, respectively). Seasonal differences in TLS-predicted green biomass were detected at two of the sites (p < 0.001 and p = 0.029), elucidating the amount of ephemeral leaf loss in the face of summer drought. The methods presented herein are directly transferable to other dryland shrubs, and implementation of the convex hull model with similar sagebrush species is straightforward.     

3-D voxel-based solid modeling of a broad-leaved tree for accurate volume estimation using portable scanning lidar

We developed a method to produce a 3-D voxel-based solid model of a tree based on portable scanning lidar data for accurate estimation of the volume of the woody material. First, we obtained lidar measurements with a high laser pulse density from several measurement positions around the target, a Japanese zelkova tree. Next, we converted lidar-derived point-cloud data for the target into voxels. The voxel size was 0.5 cm × 0.5 cm × 0.5 cm. Then, we used differences in the spatial distribution of voxels to separate the stem and large branches (diameter > 1 cm) from small branches (diameter ⩽ 1 cm). We classified the voxels into sets corresponding to the stem and to each large branch and then interpolated voxels to fill out their surfaces and their interiors. We then merged the stem and large branches with the small branches. The resultant solid model of the entire tree was composed of consecutive voxels that filled the outer surface and the interior of the stem and large branches, and a cloud of voxels equivalent to small branches that were discretely scattered in mainly the upper part of the target. Using this model, we estimated the woody material volume by counting the number of voxels in each part and multiplying the number of voxels by the unit voxel volume (0.13 cm³). The percentage error of the volume of the stem and part of a large branch was 0.5%. The estimation error of a certain part of the small branches was 34.0%.     

Automatic estimation of olive tree dendrometric parameters based on airborne laser scanning data using alpha-shape and principal component analysis

The aim of this study is to present an automatic approach for olive tree dendrometric parameter estimation from airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. The proposed method is based on a unique combination of the alpha-shape algorithm applied to normalized point cloud and principal component analysis. A key issue of the alpha-shape algorithm is to define the α parameter, as it directly affects the crown delineation results. We propose to adjust this parameter based on a group of representative trees in an orchard for which the classical field measurements were performed. The best value of the α parameter is one whose correlation coefficient of dendrometric parameters between field measurements and estimated values is the highest. We determined crown diameters as principal components of ALS points representing a delineated crown. The method was applied to a test area of an olive orchard in Spain. The tree dendrometric parameters estimated from ALS data were compared with field measurements to assess the quality of the developed approach. We found the method to be equally good or even superior to previously investigated semi-automatic methods. The average error is 19% for tree height, 53% for crown base height, and 13% and 9% for the length of the longer diameter and perpendicular diameter, respectively.     

地基激光雷达森林近地面点云精细分类与倒木提取

本文利用地基激光雷达实现天然林区近地面点云数据的精细分类和倒木提取。对大兴安岭天然林区的3个倒木样地进行了近地面1.3 m以内点云精细分类和倒木信息提取。为避免点云密度差异和遮挡的形态特征,点云分类时基于自适应临近搜索法计算团块协方差特征值构造3D和2D特征。使用k临近递增的团块协方差特征值得到的线性特征、面状特征和发散状特征构造最大熵函数,用最大熵函数取得最大值时的临近点云计算特征参数,根据递归特征排除法(RFE)筛选重要变量进行随机森林分类。利用自适应kNN特征得到3块研究样地(A、B、C)的分类总体精度分别为93.17%、94.52%、95.16%;固定k临近搜索时,总体精度分别为92.65%、89.09%、92.99%,表明自适应kNN搜索方法使分类精度有一定提高。提取倒木点云去噪处理后进行随机抽样一致圆柱拟合,根据轴线方向进行圆柱的筛选与合并,实现倒木的识别,样地倒木识别率为100%。     

地基激光雷达灌丛化草原小叶锦鸡儿生物量估算

小叶锦鸡儿是内蒙古灌丛化草原中最具代表性的景观植物,准确估算小叶锦鸡儿灌丛的地上生物量对研究灌丛化草原生态系统、监测草原灌丛化程度具有重要意义。地基激光雷达TLS(Terrestrial Laser Scanning)可通过获取高密度点云数据准确估算灌木体积,被广泛应用于反演灌木生物量,但在灌丛化草原中尚未得到有效应用。本研究首先在中国科学院灌丛化草地植被恢复试验区获取了5个样方(10 m×10 m)共42株灌丛的TLS点云数据及实测生物量信息;然后分别使用整体凸包法、切片凸包法、切片分割法、体积表面差分法、体素法5种方法计算灌丛体积并与实测生物量进行回归分析;最后,通过留一交叉验证对5种方法建立的生物量估算模型精度进行对比分析。结果表明：TLS可在不破坏植被的情况下实现快速、准确地小叶锦鸡儿灌丛生物量反演,是传统野外调查方法的可靠替代技术。研究中采用的5种方法均能较好地估算灌丛生物量,其中：（1）相比于整体凸包法（R ²=0.87, p<0.001, RMSE=30.50 g）,切片凸包法（R ²=0.89, p<0.001, RMSE=28.01 g）与切片分割法（R ²=0.88, p<0.001, RMSE=29.03 g）可有效减弱离群点造成的体积高估,生物量估算精度有所提升;（2）格网大小为3 cm、高度统计变量选取标准差时,体积表面差分法计算的体积与实测生物量拟合度最好(R ²=0.89, p<0.001, RMSE=28.89 g),表明高度标准差是估算小叶锦鸡儿灌丛生物量的强预测因子;（3）体素法解释了生物量估计值90%的变化(R ²=0.90, p<0.001, RMSE=26.28 g),是适合小叶锦鸡儿灌丛生物量反演的最优模型。     

基于地面激光扫描数据的单木特征因子提取与分析

本文利用三维激光扫描仪对树木进行扫描获取树点云数据,经过格式转换、分离、提取后,对树木各测量因子包括胸径、树高、树冠、材积量进行测定与测量方法与意义的分析。通过实验分析,可以得出:树冠测定因子通过测定树冠的叶面积指数来更精确地反映树冠的生理学意义;通过不规则三角网构建的多面体计算的树干体积较以平均断面积、中央断面积求树干材积更为准确与便捷。     

Sentinel-2数据的冬小麦地上干生物量估算及评价

作物生物量快速精确的监测对于农业资源的合理利用与农田的精准管理具有重要意义。近年来,遥感技术因其独特的优势已被广泛用于作物生物量的估算中。本文主要针对不同宽波段植被指数在冬小麦生物量(文中的生物量均是指地上干生物量)估算方面的表现进行探索。首先利用欧洲空间局最新的Sentinel-2A卫星数据提取出17种常见的植被指数,之后分别构建其与相应时期内采集的冬小麦地上生物量间的最优估算模型,通过分析两者间的相关性与敏感性,获取适宜进行生物量估算的指数。最后,绘制了研究区的生物量空间分布图。结果表明,所选的植被指数均与生物量显著相关。其中,红边叶绿素指数(CI_(re))与生物量的估算精度最高(决定性系数R~2为0.83;均方根误差RMSE为180.29 g·m~(–2))。虽然相关性较高,但部分指数,如归一化差值植被指数(NDVI)等在生物量较高时会出现饱和现象,从而导致生物量的低估。而加入红边波段的指数不仅能够延缓指数的饱和趋势,而且能够提高反演精度。此外,通过敏感性分析发现,归一化差值指数和比值指数分别在作物生长的早期和中后期对生物量的变化保持较高的敏感性。由于红边比值指数(SR_(re))和MERIS叶绿素敏感指数(MTCI)在冬小麦全生长季内一直对生物量的变化保持高灵敏性,二者是生物量估算中最为稳定的指数。     

Status and future of laser scanning, synthetic aperture radar and hyperspectral remote sensing data for forest biomass assessment

This is a review of the latest developments in different fields of remote sensing for forest biomass mapping. The main fields of research within the last decade have focused on the use of small footprint airborne laser scanning systems, polarimetric synthetic radar interferometry and hyperspectral data. Parallel developments in the field of digital airborne camera systems, digital photogrammetry and very high resolution multispectral data have taken place and have also proven themselves suitable for forest mapping issues. Forest mapping is a wide field and a variety of forest parameters can be mapped or modelled based on remote sensing information alone or combined with field data. The most common information required about a forest is related to its wood production and environmental aspects. In this paper, we will focus on the potential of advanced remote sensing techniques to assess forest biomass. This information is especially required by the REDD (reducing of emission from avoided deforestation and degradation) process. For this reason, new types of remote sensing data such as fullwave laser scanning data, polarimetric radar interferometry (polarimetric systhetic aperture interferometry, PolInSAR) and hyperspectral data are the focus of the research. In recent times, a few state-of-the-art articles in the field of airborne laser scanning for forest applications have been published. The current paper will provide a state-of-the-art review of remote sensing with a particular focus on biomass estimation, including new findings with fullwave airborne laser scanning, hyperspectral and polarimetric synthetic aperture radar interferometry. A synthesis of the actual findings and an outline of future developments will be presented.     

Calibration of area based diameter distribution with individual tree based diameter estimates using airborne laser scanning

Diameter distribution is essential for calculating stem volume and timber assortments of forest stands. A new method was proposed in this study to improve the estimation of stem volume and timber assortments, by means of combining the Area-based approach (ABA) and individual tree detection (ITD), the two main approaches to deriving forest attributes from airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. Two methods, replacement, and histogram matching were employed to calibrate ABA-derived diameter distributions with ITD-derived diameter estimates at plot level. The results showed that more accurate estimates were obtained when calibrations were applied. In view of the highest accuracy between ABA and ITD, calibrated diameter distributions decreased its relative RMSE of the estimated entire growing stock, saw log and pulpwood fractions by 2.81%, 3.05% and 7.73% points at best, respectively. Calibration improved pulpwood fraction significantly, which contributed to the negligible bias of the estimated entire growing stock.     

Assessing the sensitivity of site index models developed using bi-temporal airborne laser scanning data to different top height estimates and grid cell sizes

Site productivity and forest growth are critical inputs into projecting wood volume and biomass accumulation over time. Site productivity, which is determined most commonly using site index models is also the primary criterion to consider many forest management decisions. Most of the previous research utilizing the remote sensing data for assessment of site index with forest height are based on the existing site index models developed with traditional dendrometric methods. However, these traditional methods are both time-consuming and expensive. This study demonstrates how bi-temporal airborne laser scanning (ALS) data collected within the 8-year period can be used for the development of site index models for Scots pine. The accuracy of ALS-derived models was assessed by comparison to the reference site index model developed based on data from stem analysis of 174 felled Scots pine trees. We evaluated the effect of different height metrics and grid cell size on the trajectory of site index models developed from ALS-derived measurements. Four methods of estimating top height from ALS point clouds were evaluated: 95th, 99th and 100th percentiles of point clouds and an individual tree detection approach (ITD). The models were created for a range of grid cell sizes: 10 × 10 m, 30 × 30 m, and 50 × 50 m. The results indicate that bitemporal ALS data could substitute traditional methods that have been applied to date for stand growth modelling. It was found that top height increment can be estimated by using both ITD approach and the 100th percentile of point cloud giving an appropriate top height (TH) increment estimation. Observed growth curves of reference trees agreed best with the trajectories that were obtained based on TH calculated using ITD method (R² = 0.892) and 100th percentile (R² = 0.797). In case of TH obtained from 99th and 95th percentiles only weak correlation was found: R² = 0.358 and R² = 0.213, accordingly. The height growth models developed with 95th and 99th percentiles of point cloud were not compatible with the reference model. We also found that grid cell size did not affect the model height growth trajectories. Irrespective of the grid cell size, the obtained model trajectories for the given method of TH estimation are nearly identical for cells 10 × 10, 30 × 30 and 50 × 50 m.     

Effect of field plot location on estimating tropical forest above-ground biomass in Nepal using airborne laser scanning data

The prediction of tropical forest attributes using airborne laser scanning (ALS) is becoming attractive as an alternative to traditional field measurements. Area-based ALS inventories require a set of representative field plots from the study area, which may be difficult to obtain in tropical forests with limited accessibility. This study investigates the effect of sample-plot selection in Nepal, based on two accessibility factors: distance to road and degree of slope. The sparse Bayesian method was employed in the model to estimate above-ground biomass (AGB) with an independent validation dataset for model validation. Study findings showed that the sample plot distance and slope had a considerable effect on the accuracy of the AGB estimation, because the forest structure varied according to the level of accessibility. Thus, the field sample plots that are used in model construction should cover the full range of sample plot distances and slopes occurring within the area.     

Estimating forest standing biomass in savanna woodlands as an indicator of forest productivity using the new generation WorldView-2 sensor

Accurate and up-to-date information on forest dendrometric traits, such as above ground biomass is important in understanding the contribution of terrestrial ecosystems to the regulation of atmsopheric carbon, especially in the face of global environmental change. Besides, dendrometric traits information is critical in assessing the healthy and the spatial planning of fragile ecosystems, such as the savanna dry forests. The aim of this work was to test whether red-edge spectral data derived from WorldView-2 multispectral imagery improve biomass estimation in savanna dry forests. The results of this study have shown that biomass estimation using all Worldview-2 raw spectral bands without the red-edge band yielded low estimation accuracies (R² of 0.67 and a RMSE-CV of 2.2 t ha^?1) when compared to when the red-edge band was included as a co-variate (R² of 0.73 and a RMSE-CV of 2.04 t ha^?1). Also, similar results were obseved when all WorldView-2 vegetation indices (without the red-edge computed ones), producing slightly low accuracies (R² of about 0.67 and a RMSE-CV of 2.20 t ha^?1), when compared to those obtained using all indices and RE-computed indices(R² of 0.76 and a RMSE-CV of 1.88 t ha^?1). Overall, the findings of this work have demontrated the potential and importance of strategically positioned bands, such as the red-edge band in the optimal estimation of indigeonus forest biomass. These results underscores the need to shift towards embracing sensors with unique and strategeically positioned bands, such as the forthcoming Sentinel 2 MSI and HysPIRI which have a global footprint.     

Estimating aboveground biomass of the mangrove forests on northeast Hainan Island in China using an upscaling method from field plots,UAV-LiDAR data and Sentinel-2 imagery

The mangrove forests of northeast Hainan Island are the most species diverse forests in China and consist of the Dongzhai National Nature Reserve and the Qinglan Provincial Nature Reserve. The former reserve is the first Chinese national nature reserve for mangroves and the latter has the most abundant mangrove species in China. However, to date the aboveground ground biomass (AGB) of this mangrove region has not been quantified due to the high species diversity and the difficulty of extensive field sampling in mangrove habitat. Although three-dimensional point clouds can capture the forest vertical structure, their application to large areas is hindered by the logistics, costs and data volumes involved. To fill the gap and address this issue, this study proposed a novel upscaling method for mangrove AGB estimation using field plots, UAV-LiDAR strip data and Sentinel-2 imagery (named G∼LiDAR∼S2 model) based on a point-line-polygon framework. In this model, the partial-coverage UAV-LiDAR data were used as a linear bridge to link ground measurements to the wall-to-wall coverage Sentinel-2 data. The results showed that northeast Hainan Island has a total mangrove AGB of 312,806.29 Mg with a mean AGB of 119.26 Mg ha⁻¹. The results also indicated that at the regional scale, the proposed UAV-LiDAR linear bridge method (i.e., G∼LiDAR∼S2 model) performed better than the traditional approach, which directly relates field plots to Sentinel-2 data (named the G∼S2 model) (R² = 0.62 > 0.52, RMSE = 50.36 Mg ha⁻¹<56.63 Mg ha⁻¹). Through a trend extrapolation method, this study inferred that the G∼LiDAR∼S2 model could decrease the number of field samples required by approximately 37% in comparison with those required by the G∼S2 model in the study area. Regarding the UAV-LiDAR sampling intensity, compared with the original number of LiDAR plots, 20% of original linear bridges could produce an acceptable accuracy (R² = 0.62, RMSE = 51.03 Mg ha⁻¹). Consequently, this study presents the first investigation of AGB for the mangrove forests on northeast Hainan Island in China and verifies the feasibility of using this mangrove AGB upscaling method for diverse mangrove forests.