Characterization of Canopy Layering in Forested Ecosystems Using Full Waveform Lidar

Amanda Whitehurst,Ralph Dubayah,Anu Swatantran,Michelle Hofton,J Blair

doi:10.3390/rs5042014

Amanda Whitehurst, Ralph Dubayah + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/rs5042014

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Abstract

Canopy structure, the vertical distribution of canopy material, is an important element of forest ecosystem dynamics and habitat preference. Although vertical stratification, or “canopy layering,” is a basic characterization of canopy structure for research and forest management, it is difficult to quantify at landscape scales. In this paper we describe canopy structure and develop methodologies to map forest vertical stratification in a mixed temperate forest using full-waveform lidar. Two definitions—one categorical and one continuous—are used to map canopy layering over Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire with lidar data collected in 2009 by NASA’s Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS). The two resulting canopy layering datasets describe variation of canopy layering throughout the forest and show that layering varies with terrain elevation and canopy height. This information should provide increased understanding of vertical structure variability and aid habitat characterization and other forest management activities.

Highlights

The function and diversity of forest ecosystems are dependent on the physical structure of the vegetation [1,2]
We explored how vertical canopy structure varies across Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) using two metrics to map canopy layering derived from waveform lidar
Brook Experimental Forest, NH via full-waveform lidar. This type of information can aid in the understanding of forest ecosystem dynamics, habitat suitability, and forest management

Summary

Introduction

The function and diversity of forest ecosystems are dependent on the physical structure of the vegetation [1,2]. The distribution of plant material within the canopy, can vary as a function of stand age and environmental factors [3] and affects species diversity, plant growth, and other aspects of the forest ecosystem [1,2,3,4]. Hand-drawn canopy profiles are often used to depict vertical stratification [7,8,9], and numerical algorithms have been used to evaluate layering within field-measured canopy [3,10,11]. Both of these analyses are limited to the scale of a sample plot and are subjective in their interpretation. Our ability to both fully understand and compare canopy layering between different forested ecosystems has been limited

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