Application of unmanned aerial system structure from motion point cloud detected tree heights and stem diameters to model missing stem diameters.

ABSTRACT: Monitoring of tree spatial arrangement is increasingly essential for restoration of dry conifer forests. The presented method was developed for high-density point clouds, like those from unmanned aerial system imagery, to extract and model individual tree location, height, and diameter at breast height (DBH). Extraction of tree locations and heights uses a variable window function searching point cloud-derived canopy height models. Tree DBH is extracted for a subset of point cloud trees using a slice at 1.32-1.42 m and a least-squares circle fitting algorithm. Extracted heights and DBHs are spatially matched and filtered against each tree's expected DBH predicted using a regional National Forest Inventory height to DBH relationship. Values remaining after filtering are used to create a sit

SUBMITTER: Swayze NC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9157555 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature