Abstract

The nation-wide Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) currently performed by the Swedish National Land Survey will provide a new and accurate Digital Elevation Model (DEM). These data will enable new and cost-efficient assessments of vegetation height using Canopy Height Models (CHMs) derived as the difference between a Digital Surface Model (DSM) and the DEM. In this context, the High Resolution Stereoscopic (HRS) sensor onboard SPOT-5 and the airborne Z/I Digital Mapping Camera (DMC) used for operational aerial photography by the Swedish National Land Survey are of main interest. Previous research has shown that reliable tree height data are a powerful source of information for forest management planning. This study investigated the possibilities to map forest variables using CHMs derived from either the SPOT-5 HRS or Z/I DMC sensor together with ALS DEM data, in combination with spectral data from the SPOT-5 High Resolution Geometric (HRG) sensor. The results when using the Z/I DMC CHM in combination with SPOT-5 HRG data showed Root Mean Square Errors for standwise prediction of mean tree height, stem diameter, and stem volume of 7.3%, 9.0%, and 19%, respectively. The SPOT-5 HRS CHM in combination with SPOT-5 HRG data improved the SPOT HRG based estimates from 13% to 10%, 15% to 13%, and 31% to 23%, for tree height, stem diameter, and stem volume, respectively. Adding CHM data to a SPOT-5 HRG based prediction model improved the mapping accuracy between 13% to 44%. In conclusion, the obtained accuracies may be sufficient for operational forest management planning.

Keywords

Forest management; canopy height model; optical sensors

Published in

IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium proceedings
2010, pages: 64-67
Title: 2010 IEEE International Geoscience & Remote Sensing Symposium : Proceedings
ISBN: 978-1-4244-9566-5
Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Conference

30th IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS) on Remote Sensing - Global Vision for Local Action

SLU Authors

• Wallerman, Jörgen

  • Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Fransson, Johan

  • Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Bohlin, Jonas

  • Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Reese, Heather

  • Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Olsson, Håkan

  • Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Forest Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/IGARSS.2010.5653818

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/30933