Species discrimination and individual tree detection for predicting main dendrometric characteristics in mixed temperate forests by use of airborne laser scanning and ultra-high-resolution imagery

Abstract This study aims to investigate the combined use of two types of remote sensing data — ALS derived and digital aerial photogrammetry data (based on imagery collected by airborne UAV sensors) — along with intensive field measurements for extracting and predicting tree and stand parameters in even-aged mixed forests. The study is located in South West Romania and analyzes data collected from mixed-species plots. The main tree species within each plot are Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) and Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). The ALS data were used to extract the digital terrain model (DTM), digital surface model (DSM) and normalized canopy height model (CHM). Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) classification was performed to automatically detect and separate the main tree species. A local filtering algorithm with a canopy-height based variable window size was applied to identify the position, height and crown diameter of the main tree species within each plot. The filter was separately applied for each of the plots and for the areas covered with Norway spruce and beech trees, respectively (i.e. as resulted from OBIA classification). The dbh was predicted based on ALS data by statistical Monte Carlo simulations and a linear regression model that relates field dbh for each tree species with their corresponding ALS-derived tree height and crown diameter. The overall RMSE for each of the tree species within all the plots was 5.8 cm for the Norway spruce trees, respectively 5.9 cm for the beech trees. The results indicate a higher individual tree detection rate and subsequently a more precise estimation of dendrometric parameters for Norway spruce compared to beech trees located in spruce-beech even-aged mixed stands. Further investigations are required, particularly in the case of choosing the best method for individual tree detection of beech trees located in temperate even-aged mixed stands.