Abstract
Forest land-use planning and restoration requires effective tools for mapping and attributing linear disturbances such as roads, trails, and asset corridors over large areas. Most existing linear-feature databases are generated by heads-up digitizing. While suitable for cartographic purposes, these datasets often lack the fine spatial details and multiple attributes required for more demanding analytical applications. To address this need, we developed the Forest Line Mapper (FLM), a semi-automated software tool for mapping and attributing linear features using LiDAR-derived canopy height models. Accuracy assessments conducted in the boreal forest of Alberta, Canada showed that the FLM reliably predicts both the center line (polyline) and footprint (extent polygons) of a variety of linear-feature types including roads, pipelines, seismic lines, and power lines. Our analysis showed that FLM outputs were consistently more accurate than publicly available datasets produced by human photo-interpreters, and that the tool can be reliably deployed across large application areas. In addition to accurately delineating linear features, the FLM generates a variety of spatial attributes associated with line geometry and vegetation characteristics from input canopy height data. Our statistical evaluation indicates that spatial attributes generated by the FLM may be useful for studying and classifying linear features based on disturbance type and ground conditions. The FLM is open-source and freely available and is aimed to assist researchers and land managers working in forested environments everywhere.
Highlights
Roads, trails, and asset corridors permeate forest ecosystems around the world, providing access to settlements, resources, and recreation areas through densely vegetated terrain
Footprint polygons were generated for both seismic lines as well as wider linear disturbances
Our results suggest that linear disturbances can be reliably mapped using the Forest Line Mapper (FLM) if the resolution of the input canopy height models (CHMs) is high relative to the size of the disturbance
Summary
Trails, and asset corridors permeate forest ecosystems around the world, providing access to settlements, resources, and recreation areas through densely vegetated terrain. The volume of linear disturbances has proliferated, driven by growing human populations and mounting demand for resources. The effects of these disturbances on natural ecosystems are varied and complex [1,2,3]; managing them requires geospatial tools that can map and attribute linear disturbances quickly and effectively over large areas. The most abundant of these disturbances are seismic lines; linear-access trails cut through forests to allow the placement of geophones and other equipment associated with subsurface petroleum exploration [4]. Depending on the equipment used to clear them, seismic lines range in width from ~1.5 m to 10 m and can occur at densities exceeding 40 km/km2 [4,5]
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