Journal
FORESTS
Volume 7, Issue 4, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/f7040087
Keywords
TLS; taper function; stem curve; merchantable volume; point cloud; plot level
Categories
Funding
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University
- Priority Academic Programmer Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD)
- specialized research fund for doctoral program of higher education in China [20133204130001]
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Timber volume is an important ecological component in forested landscapes. The application of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to volume estimation has been widely accepted though few species have well-calibrated taper functions. This research uses TLS technology in poplar (Populus x canadensis Moench cv. 'I-72/58') to extract stem diameter at different tree heights and establish the relationship between point cloud data and stem curve, which constitutes the basis for volume estimation of single trees and the stand. Eight plots were established and scanned by TLS. Stem curve functions were then fitted after extraction of diameters at different height, and tree heights from the point cloud data. Lastly, six functions were evaluated by R-2 and RMSE. A modified Schumacher equation was the most suitable taper function. Volume estimates from the TLS-derived taper function were better than those derived using the stem-analysis data. Finally, regression analysis showed that predictions of stem size were similar when data were based on TLS versus stem analysis. Its high accuracy and efficiency indicates that TLS technology can play an important role in forest inventory assessment.
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