Canopy Gap Detection and Analysis with Airborne Laser Scanning

Abstract

The opening and closure of “gaps” in forest canopies plays an important role in the structure, turnover, and overall ecological processes of natural forests. Gap characterization was until recently mostly based on field studies and relied on sampling approaches. ALS (Airborne Laser Scanning) has now revolutionized this field of scientific enquiry by giving researchers the capacity to detect and measure gaps rapidly over large areas. We first provide a brief scientific background on gaps and then succinctly review field and other conventional remote sensing methods to characterize them. We then turn our attention to the principles of ALS-based gap detection and review different methods of automated gap delineation and measurement. We explain how gap types can be automatically classified, and how multitemporal ALS can be used to not only monitor gap dynamics, but also to reveal the complex role of gaps in influencing tree growth within and around them.