A new index of forest structural heterogeneity using tree architectural attributes measured by terrestrial laser scanning

The structural heterogeneity of forest stands is considered as a key element of sustainable forest management. Existing approaches usually neglect the three-dimensional representation of forest structures. In this study, we present a new structural heterogeneity index (SHI_TLS) at the plot level which is based on high-resolution 3D point clouds of individual trees that were derived from multiple scans. We sampled different forest stand types in two study areas of Germany and analyzed whether our index is able to explain differences between the different stand types. In addition, we compared our SHITLS to an existing stand structural complexity index (SSCI) that is based purely on single TLS scans. We found different trends of SHITLS between stand types. Correlation analyses showed a significant, but weak, correlation with SSCI.

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Reich K.F., Kunz M., von Oheimb G., 2021. A new index of forest structural heterogeneity using tree architectural attributes measured by terrestrial laser scanning. Ecological Indicators 133. doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.108412