Abstract
Aim of study: To test the use of LiDAR data from a single acquisition in order to estimate volume overbark variations ina 5-yr period of Pinus radiata D. Don.Area of study: Province of Bizkaia in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country (Spain).Material and methods: Two field plot measurements were made in 2011 and 2015 and two wood volume models (one for each year) were fitted using the metric variables of the 2012 LiDAR points cloud. The models were applied to a 26.59 m raster covering the study area and the increase in volume at each pixel was calculated by subtraction.Main results: The increase in estimated wood volume, when added to the volume of timber extracted in the area during the 5-yr period under consideration, yielded an average increase of 13.74 m3 ha-1 yr-1, which corresponds to the average growth of the P. radiata in that area. The harvest area estimated using this procedure largely coincides with the actual harvest area in the same period. The value of R2 (85%) of the wood volume model for 2011 is similar to that obtained in other studies. However, as expected, the one obtained for the wood volume model for 2015 (80%) is significantly lower.Research highlights: The increase in wood volume can be estimated using a single LiDAR flight and field data from the 5-yr period provided that data from plots subjected to this kind of harvest is included in the models.
Highlights
Over recent years, there has been increasing interest in the evaluation of the forestry variables, such as biomass and timber volume, especially within the context of the Kioto protocol (Lindner & Karjalainen, 2007; Zhang et al, 2007)
The results will allow us to assess whether it is possible to estimate –with an acceptable margin of error– the growth in the timber volume based on field data obtained over a 5-yr period and the metrics of a single LiDAR flight made during this time could optimise the available resources and would represent a large decrease in the cost compared to traditional estimation methods
The increases diminish gradually for volume over bark (Vob) values close to 300 m3 ha-1 and become negative above that value. Both the R2 and the root mean square error (RMSE) of the model fitted for the Vob of 2011 are similar to those published by other authors under similar conditions (Packalen et al, 2011; Stone et al, 2011; Tonolli et al, 2011; Watt et al, 2013)
Summary
There has been increasing interest in the evaluation of the forestry variables, such as biomass and timber volume, especially within the context of the Kioto protocol (Lindner & Karjalainen, 2007; Zhang et al, 2007). The quantification of these forestry parameters reveals the structure, operation and dynamics of forestry ecosystems and their assessment as an energy resource. For this reason, it is essential to determine these parameters in forestry management (Torres et al, 2010; Pan et al, 2011). The high cost of sampling, especially when this is done in inaccessible areas, limit in many cases the establishment of sufficient plots to determine real variability (Popescu, 2007)
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