Experiment on extracting forest canopy height from Worldview-2

Taking advantage of rational polynomial coefficient (RPC) data delivered along with the very high resolution satellite (VHRS) Worldview-2 images, we proposed an easy RPC adjustment method for the commercial software ENVI to generate digital surface model (DSM) with only one ground control point (GCP). The DSM was then used to derive canopy crown height (CHM) and forest stand height. The experiment was performed in North-east Beijing and evaluated by the measured tree height at a flat plot and other hillside plots. The flat plot was a ceremony garden in urban areas, and the hill plots distributed within a small mountain. The RMSE of the differences between estimation and field results was 1.5m. This research demonstrates that Worldview-2 has the ability to model and derive forest stand height under relative sparse conditions.