CoMPArISon oF lIDAr- AnD PHoToInTerPreTATIon-BASeD eSTIMATeS oF CAnoPy Cover

An evaluation of the agreement between photointerpretation- and LiDARbased estimates of canopy cover was performed using 397 90 x 90 m reference areas in Oregon. It was determined that at low canopy cover levels LiDAR estimates tend to exceed those from photointerpretation and that this tendency reverses at high canopy cover levels. Characteristics of the airborne imagery used, and, to a lesser extent, the density of the sampling point pattern employed and the occasional photointerpretation error inflated estimate discrepancies. Where available, LiDAR data can potentially be used to quantify the magnitude of error embedded in estimates of canopy cover obtained via photointerpretation.