scholarly journals Evaluation of Different Pooling Methods to Establish a Multi-Century δ18O Chronology for Paleoclimate Reconstruction

Geosciences ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeynab Foroozan ◽  
Jussi Grießinger ◽  
Kambiz Pourtahmasi ◽  
Achim Bräuning

To develop multi-century stable isotope chronologies from tree rings, pooling techniques are applied to reduce laboratory costs and time. However, pooling of wood samples from different trees may have adverse effects on the signal amplitude in the final isotope chronology. We tested different pooling approaches to identify the method that is most cost-efficient, without compromising the ability of the final chronology to reflect long-term climate variability as well as climatic extreme years. As test material, we used δ18O data from juniper trees (Juniperus polycarpus) from Northern Iran. We compared inter-tree and shifted 5-year blocks serial pooling of stable isotope series from 5 individual trees and addition of one single series to a shifted serial pooled chronology. The inter-tree pooled chronology showed the strongest climate sensitivity and most synchronous δ18O variations with the individual tree ring analyses, while the shifted block chronologies showed a marked decline in high-frequency signals and no correlations with climate variables of the growth year. Combinations of block-pooled and single isotope series compensated the high-frequency decline but added tree-individual climatic signals. Therefore, we recommend pooling calendar synchronous tree rings from individual trees as a viable alternative to individual-tree isotope measurements for robust paleoclimate reconstructions.

Iraq ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 56 ◽  
pp. 123-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline Albenda

The Brooklyn Museum houses twelve stone slabs with carved decoration from the Northwest Palace of Ashurnasirpal II. The motif of a stylized tree — the so-called Sacred Tree (see Figs. 1, 4, 6) — appears on seven of those slabs which come from rooms F, I, L, S, T of the ninth century palace at Nimrud. These tree renderings are representative of the sacred tree-type found in ten rooms of the royal residence and the west wing. Approximately 96 sacred trees, in two-register arrangement, appeared on the pictorial decorations in room I; the same motif occurred about 75 times in one-register arrangement on the reliefs of the other rooms. The abundance of the sacred tree motif on the wall decorations of the Northwest Palace attests to the significance of this plant. Its design deserves investigation; in Layard's words, “the tree, evidently a sacred symbol, is elaborately and tastefully formed.”In his study of the Ashurnasirpal II reliefs in American collections, Stearns did not attempt to list the sacred trees, because “variations in the sacred tree occur only in minor details,” and “the tree in itself is rarely useful in identifying the location of the reliefs.” These statements make clear Stearns' belief that the sacred trees were nearly alike. Other scholars, notably Weidner and Reade, have pointed out that on a number of slabs now in American and European museums are carvings of matching half trees, therefore indicating that when paired, these trees belonged to adjoining slabs originally. In trying to match half trees, one finds that individual sacred trees do differ in the rendering of specific details. Bleibtreu, in her analysis of the sacred tree-type, lists three variants of the flower found on the palmette-garland framing the individual tree on three sides. The present author, after examining the sacred trees carved on the slabs in The Brooklyn Museum, concludes that the design of the tree-type is more varied than heretofore presumed, and that its construction is more complex than indicated in previous descriptions of the subjects. An analysis of the Assyrian sacred tree-type may lead to possible conclusions regarding its intended image: a stylized palm tree, a cult object, an emblem of vegetation or “tree of life”, an imperial symbol, or a combination of those forms. In addition, one may consider to what extent the rendering of individual trees was the consequence of artistic inventiveness.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 2725
Author(s):  
Qixia Man ◽  
Pinliang Dong ◽  
Xinming Yang ◽  
Quanyuan Wu ◽  
Rongqing Han

Urban vegetation extraction is very important for urban biodiversity assessment and protection. However, due to the diversity of vegetation types and vertical structure, it is still challenging to extract vertical information of urban vegetation accurately with single remotely sensed data. Airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) can provide elevation information with high-precision, whereas hyperspectral data can provide abundant spectral information on ground objects. The complementary advantages of LiDAR and hyperspectral data could extract urban vegetation much more accurately. Therefore, a three-dimensional (3D) vegetation extraction workflow is proposed to extract urban grasses and trees at individual tree level in urban areas using airborne LiDAR and hyperspectral data. The specific steps are as follows: (1) airborne hyperspectral and LiDAR data were processed to extract spectral and elevation parameters, (2) random forest classification method and object-based classification method were used to extract the two-dimensional distribution map of urban vegetation, (3) individual tree segmentation was conducted on a canopy height model (CHM) and point cloud data separately to obtain three-dimensional characteristics of urban trees, and (4) the spatial distribution of urban vegetation and the individual tree delineation were assessed by validation samples and manual delineation results. The results showed that (1) both the random forest classification method and object-based classification method could extract urban vegetation accurately, with accuracies above 99%; (2) the watershed segmentation method based on the CHM could extract individual trees correctly, except for the small trees and the large tree groups; and (3) the individual tree segmentation based on point cloud data could delineate individual trees in three-dimensional space, which is much better than CHM segmentation as it can preserve the understory trees. All the results suggest that two- and three-dimensional urban vegetation extraction could play a significant role in spatial layout optimization and scientific management of urban vegetation.


Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Fernández-Álvarez ◽  
Julia Armesto ◽  
Juan Picos

This paper describes a methodology using LiDAR point clouds with an ultra-high resolution in the characterization of forest fuels for further wildfire prevention and management. Biomass management strips were defined in three case studies using a particular Spanish framework. The data were acquired through a UAV platform. The proposed methodology allows for the detection, measurement and characterization of individual trees, as well as the analysis of shrubs. The individual tree segmentation process employed a canopy height model, and shrub cover LiDAR-derived models were used to characterize the vegetation in the strips. This way, the verification of the geometric legal restrictions was performed automatically and objectively using decision trees and GIS tools. As a result, priority areas, where wildfire prevention efforts should be concentrated in order to control wildfires, can be identified.


FLORESTA ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leif Nutto ◽  
Peter Spathelf ◽  
Irene Seling

In the present work a thinning program and a model describing dynamic of crown base recession for Eucalyptus grandis was established on an individual tree basis. Therefore, 485 trees were measured on temporary plots in forests of the companies Klabin Riocell (Guaíba), Todeschini (Cachoeira do Sul), the Federal University of Santa Maria and Aracruz Company, located in Rio Grande do Sul, Espirito Santo and Bahia, Brazil. A straight relationship between crown width and diameter at breast height (DBH) was found by using regression analysis. The equation obtained was crown width = e0.504+0.0307* DBH, with a coefficient of determination of 0.78 and a standard error of 0.034. With this equation the standing space of the individual trees was calculated over the whole rotation period, taking into account a crown cover of 70 %. Therefore the number of trees which can be grown on a hectare was derived for different variants of management systems aiming to produce eucalypt sawlogs in short rotation periods. Beside this a multivariate model describing height of crown base as a function of DBH and total height was found. Based upon this model the dynamics of crown base recession for different site qualities and thinning regimes are described, giving advice for time and intensity of green pruning.


1983 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Evert

A stand volume equation is presented for black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.)B.S.P.), based on a sample of 785 felled trees. To ensure that the equation will provide accurate estimates of the volume of both variously stocked stands and of individual trees, stand volume was expressed as the sum of individual tree volumes without direct reference to the size of the area that the trees occupy. The equation will reduce the problem of forecasting stand volume to the simpler problem of forecasting separately the individual components in the stand-volume equation.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 550
Author(s):  
Dandan Xu ◽  
Haobin Wang ◽  
Weixin Xu ◽  
Zhaoqing Luan ◽  
Xia Xu

Accurate forest biomass estimation at the individual tree scale is the foundation of timber industry and forest management. It plays an important role in explaining ecological issues and small-scale processes. Remotely sensed images, across a range of spatial and temporal resolutions, with their advantages of non-destructive monitoring, are widely applied in forest biomass monitoring at global, ecoregion or community scales. However, the development of remote sensing applications for forest biomass at the individual tree scale has been relatively slow due to the constraints of spatial resolution and evaluation accuracy of remotely sensed data. With the improvements in platforms and spatial resolutions, as well as the development of remote sensing techniques, the potential for forest biomass estimation at the single tree level has been demonstrated. However, a comprehensive review of remote sensing of forest biomass scaled at individual trees has not been done. This review highlights the theoretical bases, challenges and future perspectives for Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) applications of individual trees scaled to whole forests. We summarize research on estimating individual tree volume and aboveground biomass (AGB) using Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS), Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Laser Scanning (UAV-LS) and Mobile Laser Scanning (MLS, including Vehicle-borne Laser Scanning (VLS) and Backpack Laser Scanning (BLS)) data.


2019 ◽  
pp. 320-331
Author(s):  
Peter Fransson ◽  
Oskar Franklin ◽  
Ola Lindroos ◽  
Urban Nilsson ◽  
Åke Brännström

As various methods for precision inventories, including light detection and ranging (LiDAR), are becoming increasingly common in forestry, planning at the individual-tree level is becoming more viable. In this study, we present a method for finding the optimal thinning times for individual trees from an economic perspective. The method utilizes a forest growth model based on individual trees that has been fitted to Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stands in northern Sweden. We find that the optimal management strategy is to thin from above (i.e., harvesting trees that are larger than average). We compare our optimal strategy with a conventional management strategy and find that the optimal strategy results in approximately 20% higher land expectation value. Furthermore, we find that for the optimal strategy, increasing the discount rate will reduce the final harvest age and increase the basal area reduction. Decreasing the cost to initiate a thinning (e.g., machinery-related transportation costs) increases the number of thinnings and delays the first thinning.


HortScience ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 762C-762
Author(s):  
Dale E. Kester ◽  
K.H Shackel ◽  
T.M. Gradziel ◽  
M. Viveros ◽  
W.C. Micke

The potential for noninfectious bud-failure in propagation source material for `Carmel' almond in California has been determined in progeny tests from commercial nursery sources. Percentage BF increased with time (temporal), but decreased in severity (spatial). Analysis of variability in nursery sources showed that the key to successful selection for low BF potential is the individual tree, although variability exists among nurseries, budsticks (within trees), and individual buds (within budsticks). One-half of the individual trees of the nursery population tested have produced BF progeny so far within the test period. Future BF from the remainder was project by a BF model to be beyond the critical economic threshold. Two low BF-potential single tree sources were identified for commercial usage and progeny tests have started on an additional 19.


2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 666-676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasmus Astrup ◽  
Mark J. Ducey ◽  
Aksel Granhus ◽  
Tim Ritter ◽  
Nikolas von Lüpke

The most efficient way to obtain stand inventory data with terrestrial laser systems (TLS) is with the single-scan mode, which involves taking one scan at a single point. With a single-scan setup, there will be a nondetection of trees in a plot and the representation of the individual trees will be incomplete. We explore how stand-level volume estimates, based on the single-scan mode, perform compared with standard inventory estimates. We base our study on 166 plots in 12 mature stands dominated by Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst) in southern Norway. First, we compare individual-tree volume estimates from TLS with estimates from volume functions and measurements from harvesters. We show that individual-tree volumes can be estimated with high precision and accuracy with TLS in single-scan mode. Secondly, we test three approaches for correction of nondetection relying on model-based estimates of the detection probability obtained by point transect sampling estimators. We show that all three approaches adjust for nondetection and yield stand-level volume estimates that are similar to those obtained by fixed-area sampling. In conclusion, our results indicate that stand-level volume estimates, based on single-scan mode TLS data, perform well compared with standard inventory estimates.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 322
Author(s):  
Melissa Latella ◽  
Fabio Sola ◽  
Carlo Camporeale

Nowadays, LiDAR is widely used for individual tree detection, usually providing higher accuracy in coniferous stands than in deciduous ones, where the rounded-crown, the presence of understory vegetation, and the random spatial tree distribution may affect the identification algorithms. In this work, we propose a novel algorithm that aims to overcome these difficulties and yield the coordinates and the height of the individual trees on the basis of the point density features of the input point cloud. The algorithm was tested on twelve deciduous areas, assessing its performance on both regular-patterned plantations and stands with randomly distributed trees. For all cases, the algorithm provides high accuracy tree count (F-score > 0.7) and satisfying stem locations (position error around 1.0 m). In comparison to other common tools, the algorithm is weakly sensitive to the parameter setup and can be applied with little knowledge of the study site, thus reducing the effort and cost of field campaigns. Furthermore, it demonstrates to require just 2 points·m−2 as minimum point density, allowing for the analysis of low-density point clouds. Despite its simplicity, it may set the basis for more complex tools, such as those for crown segmentation or biomass computation, with potential applications in forest modeling and management.


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