scholarly journals Woody Surface Area Measurements with Terrestrial Laser Scanning Relate to the Anatomical and Structural Complexity of Urban Trees

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 3153
Author(s):  
Georgios Arseniou ◽  
David W. MacFarlane ◽  
Dominik Seidel
Keyword(s):  
Surface Area ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Box Dimension ◽  
Urban Tree ◽  
Sensing Technology ◽  
Path Lengths ◽  
And Function

Urban forests are part of the global forest network, providing important benefits to human societies. Advances in remote-sensing technology can create detailed 3D images of trees, giving novel insights into tree structure and function. We used terrestrial laser scanning and quantitative structural models to provide comprehensive characterizations of the woody surface area allometry of urban trees and relate them to urban tree anatomy, physiology, and structural complexity. Fifty-six trees of three species (Gleditsia triacanthos L., Quercus macrocarpa Michx., Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu & W.C. Cheng) were sampled on the Michigan State University campus. Variations in surface area allocation to non-photosynthesizing components (main stem, branches) are related to the fractal dimension of tree architecture, in terms of structural complexity (box-dimension metric) and the distribution of “path” lengths from the tree base to every branch tip. The total woody surface area increased with the box-dimension metric, but it was most strongly correlated with the 25th percentile of path lengths. These urban trees mainly allocated the woody surface area to branches, which changed with branch order, branch-base diameter, and branch-base height. The branch-to-stem area ratio differed among species and increased with the box-dimension metric. Finally, the woody surface area increased with the crown surface area of the study trees across all species combined and within each species. The results of this study provide novel data and new insights into the surface area properties of urban tree species and the links with structural complexity and constraints on tree morphology.

scholarly journals Measuring the Contribution of Leaves to the Structural Complexity of Urban Tree Crowns with Terrestrial Laser Scanning

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 2773
Author(s):  
Georgios Arseniou ◽  
David W. MacFarlane ◽  
Dominik Seidel
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Box Dimension ◽  
State University ◽  
Leaf Removal ◽  
Quercus Macrocarpa ◽  
Methodological Considerations

Trees have a fractal-like branching architecture that determines their structural complexity. We used terrestrial laser scanning technology to study the role of foliage in the structural complexity of urban trees. Forty-five trees of three deciduous species, Gleditsia triacanthos, Quercus macrocarpa, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, were sampled on the Michigan State University campus. We studied their structural complexity by calculating the box-dimension (Db) metric from point clouds generated for the trees using terrestrial laser scanning, during the leaf-on and -off conditions. Furthermore, we artificially defoliated the leaf-on point clouds by applying an algorithm that separates the foliage from the woody material of the trees, and then recalculated the Db metric. The Db of the leaf-on tree point clouds was significantly greater than the Db of the leaf-off point clouds across all species. Additionally, the leaf removal algorithm introduced bias to the estimation of the leaf-removed Db of the G. triacanthos and M. glyptostroboides trees. The index capturing the contribution of leaves to the structural complexity of the study trees (the ratio of the Db of the leaf-on point clouds divided by the Db of the leaf-off point clouds minus one), was negatively correlated with branch surface area and different metrics of the length of paths through the branch network of the trees, indicating that the contribution of leaves decreases as branch network complexity increases. Underestimation of the Db of the G. triacanthos trees, after the artificial leaf removal, was related to maximum branch order. These results enhance our understanding of tree structural complexity by disentangling the contribution of leaves from that of the woody structures. The study also highlighted important methodological considerations for studying tree structure, with and without leaves, from laser-derived point clouds.

scholarly journals Global patterns and climatic controls of forest structural complexity

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Ehbrecht ◽  
Dominik Seidel ◽  
Peter Annighöfer ◽  
Holger Kreft ◽  
Michael Köhler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Structure ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Precipitation Seasonality ◽  
Latitudinal Patterns ◽  
Global Patterns ◽  
Primary Forests

AbstractThe complexity of forest structures plays a crucial role in regulating forest ecosystem functions and strongly influences biodiversity. Yet, knowledge of the global patterns and determinants of forest structural complexity remains scarce. Using a stand structural complexity index based on terrestrial laser scanning, we quantify the structural complexity of boreal, temperate, subtropical and tropical primary forests. We find that the global variation of forest structural complexity is largely explained by annual precipitation and precipitation seasonality (R² = 0.89). Using the structural complexity of primary forests as benchmark, we model the potential structural complexity across biomes and present a global map of the potential structural complexity of the earth´s forest ecoregions. Our analyses reveal distinct latitudinal patterns of forest structure and show that hotspots of high structural complexity coincide with hotspots of plant diversity. Considering the mechanistic underpinnings of forest structural complexity, our results suggest spatially contrasting changes of forest structure with climate change within and across biomes.

scholarly journals Deriving Stand Structural Complexity from Airborne Laser Scanning Data—What Does It Tell Us about a Forest?

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1854
Author(s):  
Dominik Seidel ◽  
Peter Annighöfer ◽  
Martin Ehbrecht ◽  
Paul Magdon ◽  
Stephan Wöllauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Structure ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Airborne Laser Scanning ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Box Dimension ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
3D Point Clouds ◽  
Airborne Laser

The three-dimensional forest structure is an important driver of several ecosystem functions and services. Recent advancements in laser scanning technologies have set the path to measuring structural complexity directly from 3D point clouds. Here, we show that the box-dimension (Db) from fractal analysis, a measure of structural complexity, can be obtained from airborne laser scanning data. Based on 66 plots across different forest types in Germany, each 1 ha in size, we tested the performance of the Db by evaluating it against conventional ground-based measures of forest structure and commonly used stand characteristics. We found that the Db was related (0.34 < R < 0.51) to stand age, management intensity, microclimatic stability, and several measures characterizing the overall stand structural complexity. For the basal area, we could not find a significant relationship, indicating that structural complexity is not tied to the basal area of a forest. We also showed that Db derived from airborne data holds the potential to distinguish forest types, management types, and the developmental phases of forests. We conclude that the box-dimension is a promising measure to describe the structural complexity of forests in an ecologically meaningful way.

scholarly journals Towards Tree Green Crown Volume: A Methodological Approach Using Terrestrial Laser Scanning

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zihui Zhu ◽  
Christoph Kleinn ◽  
Nils Nölke
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Volume Index ◽  
Convex Hulls ◽  
Tree Crown ◽  
Crown Volume ◽  
Matter Production

Crown volume is a tree attribute relevant in a number of contexts, including photosynthesis and matter production, storm resistance, shadowing of lower layers, habitat for various taxa. While commonly the total crown volume is being determined, for example by wrapping a convex hull around the crown, we present here a methodological approach towards assessing the tree green crown volume (TGCVol), the crown volume with a high density of foliage, which we derive by terrestrial laser scanning in a case study of solitary urban trees. Using the RGB information, we removed the hits on stem and branches within the tree crown and used the remaining leaf hits to determine TGCVol from k-means clustering and convex hulls for the resulting green 3D clusters. We derived a tree green crown volume index (TGCVI) relating the green crown volume to the total crown volume. This TGCVI is a measure of how much a crown is “filled with green” and scale-dependent (a function of specifications of the k-means clustering). Our study is a step towards a standardized assessment of tree green crown volume. We do also address a number of remaining methodological challenges.

scholarly journals The terrestrial laser scanning revolution in forest ecology

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 20180001 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Mark Danson ◽  
Mathias I. Disney ◽  
Rachel Gaulton ◽  
Crystal Schaaf ◽  
Alan Strahler
Keyword(s):  
Forest Structure ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Forest Ecology ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Good Time ◽  
Ecosystem Structure ◽  
Dimensional Measurements ◽  
And Function ◽  
Ecosystem Structure And Function

New laser scanning technologies are set to revolutionize the way in which we measure and understand changes in ecosystem structure and function. Forest ecosystems present a particular challenge because of their scale, complexity and structural dynamics. Traditional forestry techniques rely on manual measurement of easy-to-measure characteristics such as tree girth and height, along with time-consuming, logistically difficult and error-prone destructive sampling. Much more detailed and accurate three-dimensional measurements of forest structure and composition are key to reducing errors in biomass estimates and carbon dynamics and to better understanding the role of forests in global ecosystem and climate change processes. Terrestrial laser scanners are now starting to be deployed in forest ecology research and, at the same time, new terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) technologies are being developed to enhance and extend the range of measurements that can be made. These new TLS measurements provide a tantalizing glimpse of a completely new way to measure and understand forest structure. It is therefore a good time to take stock, assess the state of the art and identify the immediate challenges for continued development of TLS in forest ecology.

Terrestrial laser scanning for estimating urban tree volume and carbon content

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (21) ◽  
pp. 6652-6667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Vonderach ◽  
Thomas Vögtle ◽  
Petra Adler ◽  
Stefan Norra
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Content ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Urban Tree

scholarly journals Urban tree pests and natural enemies respond to habitat at different spatial scales

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E Parsons ◽  
Steven D Frank
Keyword(s):  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Urban Habitat ◽  
Urban Tree ◽  
Impervious Cover ◽  
Enemies Hypothesis ◽  
The City

Abstract Trees provide many ecosystem services in our urban environments. However, city trees are often stressed by pests that are typically higher than those in nearby natural areas. Our research highlights a potential mismatch in scale between the habitat elements that affect the densities of pests and their natural enemies on city trees. We tested a well-known ecological concept, the enemies hypothesis, in the city, where relationships of pests and their enemies have not been thoroughly studied. To test our hypothesis that natural enemies and aphid predation services on urban trees increase with more local structural complexity around trees, we collected data on crape myrtle trees on NC State University’s campus from 2016 to 2017. We measured local structural complexity of vegetation around study trees, quantified impervious cover among other urban habitat elements, collected crape myrtle aphids (Tinocallis kahawaluokalani) and their natural enemies on trees, and performed predation experiments. We found that aphid abundance was positively correlated with more impervious cover within 100 m of crape myrtle trees. Alternatively, greater local structural complexity within the 10 × 10 m area around crape myrtles correlated with a higher abundance of natural enemies. Aphid predation was mostly predicted by local structural complexity and impervious cover within 20 m of crape myrtle trees. Together, these findings suggest that although the impervious nature of our cities may mean higher densities of some pests, local landscapes around trees can play an important role in maintaining natural enemies and predation services that help regulate pest populations.

scholarly journals Above Ground Biomass References for Urban Trees from Terrestrial Laser Scanning Data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Kükenbrink ◽  
Oliver Gardi ◽  
Felix Morsdorf ◽  
Esther Thürig ◽  
Andreas Schellenberger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Forest Inventory ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Tree Structure ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Forest Trees ◽  
Above Ground Biomass ◽  
Wood Volume ◽  
Volume Estimates

&lt;p&gt;Trees supply a multitude of ecosystem services (e.g. carbon storage, suppression of air pollution, oxygen, shade, recreation etc.) not only in forested areas but also in urban landscapes. Many of these services are positively correlated with tree size and structure. The assessment of carbon storage potential via the quantification of above ground biomass (AGB) is of special importance. However, quantification of AGB is difficult and applied allometries are often based on forest trees, which are subject to very different growing conditions, competition and form compared to urban trees. In this contribution, we highlight the potential of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) techniques to extract high detailed information on tree structure and AGB with a focus on urban trees.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A total of 55 urban trees distributed over eight cities in Switzerland were measured using TLS and traditional forest inventory techniques before they were felled and weighted. Tree structure, volumes and AGB from the TLS point clouds were extracted using Quantitative Structure Modelling (QSM). TLS derived AGB estimates were compared to allometric estimates dependent on diameter at breast height only. The allometric models were established within the Swiss National Forest Inventory and are therefore optimised for forest trees.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;TLS derived AGB estimates showed good performance when compared to destructively harvested references with an R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; of 0.954 (RMSE = 556 kg), compared to an R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; of 0.837 (RMSE = 1159 kg) for allometrically derived AGB estimates. A correlation analysis showed that different TLS derived wood volume estimates as well as trunk diameters and tree crown metrics show high correlation in describing total wood AGB.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The presented results show that TLS based wood volume estimates show high potential to estimate tree AGB independent of tree species, size and form. This allows us to retrieve highly accurate, non-destructive AGB estimates that could be used to establish new allometric equations without the need of extensive destructive harvest.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Terrestrial laser scanning: a new standard of forest measuring and modelling?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markku Åkerblom ◽  
Pekka Kaitaniemi
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Physiological State ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Mixed Stands ◽  
Automated Processing ◽  
Non Destructive

Abstract Background Laser scanning technology has opened new horizons for the research of forest dynamics, because it provides a largely automated and non-destructive method to rapidly capture the structure of individual trees and entire forest stands at multiple spatial scales. The structural data themselves or in combination with additional remotely sensed data also provide information on the local physiological state of structures within trees. The capacity of new methods is facilitated by the ongoing development of automated processing tools that are designed to capture information from the point cloud data provided by the remote measurements. Scope Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), performed from the ground or from unmanned aerial vehicles, in particular, has potential to become a unifying measurement standard for forest research questions, because the equipment is flexible to use in the field and has the capacity to capture branch-level structural information at the forestplot or even forest scale. This issue of Annals of Botany includes selected papers that exemplify the current and potential uses of TLS, such as for examination of crown interactions between trees, growth dynamics of mixed stands, non-destructive characterization of urban trees, and enhancement of ecological and evolutionary models. The papers also present current challenges in the applicability of TLS methods and report recent developments in methods facilitating the use of TLS data for research purposes, including automatic processing chains and quantifying branch and above-ground biomass. In this article, we provide an overview of the current and anticipated future capacity of TLS and related methods in solving questions that utilize measurements and models of forests. Conclusions Due to its measurement speed, TLS provides a method to effortlessly capture large amounts of detailed structural forest information, and consequent proxy data for tree and forest processes, at a far wider spatial scale than is feasible with manual measurements. Issues with measurement precision and occlusion of laser beams before they reach their target structures continue to reduce the accuracy of TLS data, but the limitations are counterweighted by the measurement speed that enables large sample sizes. The currently high time-cost of analysing TLS data, in turn, is likely to decrease through progress in automated processing methods. The developments point towards TLS becoming a new and widely accessible standard tool in forest measurement and modelling.

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