RT Journal Article
T1 Modelling diameter distributions in radiata pine plantations in Spain with existing countrywide LiDAR data
A1 Arias Rodil, Manuel
A1 Diéguez Aranda, Ulises
A1 Álvarez González, Juan Gabriel
A1 Pérez Cruzado, César
A1 Castedo Dorado, Fernando
A1 González Ferreiro, Eduardo
K1 PNOA project (Plan Nacional de Ortofotografía Aérea de España)
K1 Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS)
K1 Remote sensing
K1 Weibull
K1 Distribution function
K1 Moment-based parameter recovery method
AB We evaluated the use of low-density airborne laser scanning data to estimate diameter distributions in radiata pine plantations. The moment-based parameter recovery method was used to estimate the diameter distributions, considering LiDAR metrics as explanatory variables. The fitted models explained more than 77% of the observed variability. This approach can be replicated every 6 years (temporal cover planned for countrywide LiDAR flights in Spain).Context: The estimation of stand diameter distribution is informative for forest managers in terms of stand structure, forest growth model inputs, and economic timber value. In this sense, airborne LiDAR may represent an adequate source of information.Aims: The objective was to evaluate the use of low-density Spanish countrywide LiDAR data for estimating diameter distributions in Pinus radiata D. Don stands in NW Spain.Methods: The empirical distributions were obtained from 25 sample plots. We applied the moment-based parameter recovery method in combination with the Weibull function to estimate the diameter distributions, considering LiDAR metrics as explanatory variables. We evaluated the results by using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov (KS) test and a classification tree and random forest (RF) to relate the KS test result for each plot to stand-level variables.Results: The models used to estimate average (dm) and quadratic (dg) mean diameters from LiDAR metrics, required for recovery of the Weibull parameters, explained a high percentage of the observed variance (77 and 80%, respectively), with RMSE values of 3.626 and 3.422 cm for the same variables. However, the proportion of plots accepted by the KS was low. This poor performance may be due to the strictness of the KS test and/or by the characteristics of the LiDAR flight.Conclusion: The results justify the assessment of this approach over different species and forest types in regional or countrywide surveys.
PB BMC
SN 1286-4560
YR 2018
FD 2018
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10347/32560
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10347/32560
LA eng
NO Arias-Rodil, M., Diéguez-Aranda, U., Álvarez-González, J.G. et al. Modeling diameter distributions in radiata pine plantations in Spain with existing countrywide LiDAR data. Annals of Forest Science 75, 36 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-018-0712-z
NO Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (AGL2008-02259/FOR); Galician Government, Xunta deGalicia, Dirección Xeral de Montes (09MRU022291PR); Norvento (Multinational energy company)(PGIDT09REM023E); Eduardo González-Ferreiro was financially supported by the Plan galego deinvestigación, innovación e crecemento 2011-2015 (Plan I2C) (Official Journal of Galicia – DOG nº 52,17/03/2014 p. 11343, exp: POS-A/2013/049): Galician Government (Dirección Xeral de Ordenación eCalidade do Sistema Universitario de Galicia – Consellería de Educación e Ordenación Universitaria) andEuropean Social Fund. Manuel Arias-Rodil was financially supported by an FPU grant (AP2012-05337)from the Spanish Ministry of Education.
NO Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (AGL2008-02259/FOR); Eduardo González-Ferreiro was financially supported by the Plan galego de investigación, innovación e crecemento 2011-2015 (Plan I2C) (Official Journal of Galicia - DOG nº 52, 17/03/2014 p. 11343, exp: POS-A/2013/049) - Galician Government (Dirección Xeral de Ordenación e Calidade do Sistema Universitario de Galicia - Consellería de Educación e Ordenación Universitaria) and European Social Fund. Manuel Arias-Rodil was financially supported by an FPU grant (AP2012-05337) from the Spanish Ministry of Education.
DS Minerva
RD 28 abr 2026