Inter-annual growth of broad-leaved canopy estimated from the repeated LiDAR measurements

Abstract

We estimated inter-annual growth of broad-leaved trees planted in the urban park, by using multi-temporal airborne LiDAR datasets acquired in 2004, 2008, and 2010. The annual changes in the LiDAR-estimated growth of average canopy heights were significantly correlated with one another over the study periods at the plot and individual-tree levels. A moderate and significant relation was shown with the increment of field-measured basal area. But the uncertainties remain in estimating short-term growth for small crown areas.