Estimation of Canopy Cover, Gap Fraction and Leaf Area Index with Airborne Laser Scanning

Forest canopy cover and gap fraction are commonly used metrics in forest ecology. Airborne laser scanning is capable of measuring both very accurately, but slightly different estimation methods should be used as these metrics are defined differently. In canopy cover estimation the proportion of vertical gaps between the crowns is needed for a specific area. Canopy gap fraction includes all gaps observed from a single point with some angular view range. Canopy cover can be estimated with high accuracy as the fraction of first echoes above a specified height threshold, because only the large gaps are considered. In gap fraction estimation also last echoes should be used so that the effect of the smaller gaps within the crowns is considered. Leaf area index can be estimated from the gap fraction using a logarithmic model with a single coefficient representing leaf orientation. However, sensor effects have a strong influence on the estimates, and therefore validation with high-quality field data is recommended.

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