NEON-SD: A 30-m Structural Diversity Product Derived from the NEON Discrete-Return LiDAR Point Cloud.

ABSTRACT: Structural diversity (SD) characterizes the volume and physical arrangement of biotic components in an ecosystem which control critical ecosystem functions and processes. LiDAR data provides detailed 3-D spatial position information of components and has been widely used to calculate SD. However, the intensive computation of SD metrics from extensive LiDAR datasets is time-consuming and challenging for researchers who lack access to high-performance computing resources. Moreover, a lack of understanding of LiDAR data and algorithms could lead to inconsistent SD metrics. Here, we developed a SD product using the Discrete-Return LiDAR Point Cloud from the NEON Aerial Observation Platform. This product provides SD metrics detailing height, density, openness, and complexity at a spatial resolu

SUBMITTER: Wang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11522374 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature