Novel method for the high-resolution analysis of forest canopy space using TLS

Forest canopies and tree crown structures are of high ecological importance. In a new publication we introduce a novel method to analyse spatiotemporal dynamics in canopy occupancy at the individual tree and local neighbourhood level using high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) terrestrial laser scanning TLS data. In the analyses, a voxel grid approach is applied. The tree crowns are modeled through the combination of two approaches: the encasement of all crown points with a 3D α-shape, which was then converted into a voxel grid, and the direct voxelization of the crown points. Due to the high accuracy of this novel method, it facilitates the precise analyses even of highly plastic individual tree crowns and, thus, the realistic representation of forest canopies.

Original publication:

Hess C, Härdtle W, Kunz M, Fichtner A, von Oheimb G (2018) A high-resolution approach for the spatiotemporal analysis of forest canopy space using terrestrial laser scanning data. Ecology and Evolution 8: 6800-6811. DOI 10.1002/ece3.4193