期刊名称：ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences
印刷版ISSN：2194-9042
电子版ISSN：2194-9050
出版年度：2007
卷号：XXXVI-3/W52
页码：169-172
出版社：Copernicus Publications
摘要：LiDAR technology emits narrow beams of laser light that are able to exploit gaps in the forest canopy and detect sub-canopy surfaces. In this study, we explore the potential of airborne LiDAR to quantify understorey vegetation cover in a dense and structurally diverse conifer forest on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The cover of understorey vegetation, defined below an arbitrary height threshold of 4 m, was recorded in the field both horizontally and vertically at 12 plots for comparison with LiDAR data. Results showed significant relationships between field and LiDAR-based estimates of understor ey vegetation cover at both the plot (30 x 30 m area, r 2 = 0.87) and sub-plot scale (15 x 15 m areas, n = 4 per plot, r 2 = 0.68) (p < 0.05). In addition, the variability (coefficient of variation) of understor ey vegetation cover estimated in the field and with LiDAR data was found to be significantly correlated (r 2 =0.88, p < 0.001). Overall, this work suggests that small-footprint LiDAR is sensitive to large changes in understorey vegetation cover which can benefit key forestry applications at the landscape scale such as examining stand regeneration success
