Point cloud-based augmentation of forest inventory parameters and solar insolation assessment in riparian areas

Background

Recent technological advancements have enabled Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)- and handheld-based acquisitions of point clouds. The reduced size technology is presently well-suited to data collection over small areas, including forest inventory plots and riparian zone segments. Unlike manned aerial vehicles, it has low operational cost, can be deployed at short notice, and is characterized by point clouds of very high density, typically two orders of magnitude that of conventional airborne acquisitions. How to best quantify the apparently rich information content of UAS- and handheld-based LiDAR point clouds is largely unknown. Of special interest is data analysis conducive to precise measurement of individual tree, or tree component dimensionality, or quantification of dynamic phenomena such as the distribution of sunlight within and under a forest stand. The proposed collaboration is seeking to explore the application of high-density point cloud technologies in forest management and survey. 

Purpose

The objective of the collaboration is to evaluate UAS- and handheld laser technologies as an aid to forest inventory operations and their utility for describing and quantifying the distribution of sunlight in forest stands and along riparian corridors. The proposed study aims at complementing inventory measurements performed on field plots, supporting tactical and operational forest management decisions, and improving the accuracy and precision of selected forest inventory parameter estimates. It also aims at supporting the quantification of ecological processes associated with the distribution of sunlight and thermal energy and how those are affected by management activities.

Project Director: Bogdan Strimbu

Funding Agency: USDA Pacific Northwest Station