Abstract
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 × 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 R2 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.
Highlights
Timber volume determination is a key element in the wood products supply chain and in sustainable forest management
Taper functions represent the change in diameter in relation to height along a tree stem [1,2], and are widely used to estimate total stem volume as well as merchantable volume to a specified top diameter limit [3]
The overall objective of this study is to investigate whether non-destructive terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) measurements suitable for deriving local taper functions and merchantable volume
Summary
Timber volume determination is a key element in the wood products supply chain and in sustainable forest management. Taper functions represent the change in diameter in relation to height along a tree stem [1,2], and are widely used to estimate total stem volume as well as merchantable volume to a specified top diameter limit [3]. Taper functions are conventionally developed through stem analysis; trees are felled and diameters measured at regular intervals along the stem [10,11,12,13,14]. Aside from requiring considerable time and effort, sampling is destructive and the process of tree removal imposes changes in forest structure and function. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) provides an alternative to stem analysis and has the potential to resolve many of these limitations [15].
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