LiDAR remote sensing data combined with machine learning (ML) techniques have presented great potential for large-scale modeling of tropical forest attributes. However, the large amount of information that can be derived from an aerial LiDAR survey, summed with the intrinsic heterogeneity of tropical environments (e.g., the Amazon), makes it a challenge to accurately estimate forest biophysical variables. The aim of our work is to investigate the potential and accuracy of different ML techniques and a generalized linear model (GLM) to learn the relationships between LiDAR-derived metrics and forest inventory data for aboveground biomass (AGB) prediction in Amazon forest sites under selective logging regimes. The predictive performance of three ML techniques, namely random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and artificial neural network (ANN), was compared against result from the GLM technique, across 85 sample plots. Interestingly, the GLM retrieved the most accurate estimations of forest AGB (rho Spearman’s coefficient = 0.87), compared with the ML techniques (RF = 0.77, SVM = 0.67, and ANN = 0.50). A number of possible factors affecting such results are listed and discussed in the text, including sample size and number of predictor variables. Continued research is necessary to improve the confidence of AGB estimation, especially over complex forest structures.
Extraction of information about individual trees using remotely sensed data is essential to supporting ecological and commercial applications in forest environments. Data acquired by consumer-grade cameras onboard unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) offer an affordable option of high-spatial resolution imagery that can be used to extract forest structural information at a tree level. The aim of this work is to investigate the potential and accuracy of UAV time-series data to automatically detect and delineate tree crowns across an entire woodland. The workflow (presented in a step-by-step manner) involves the construction of a canopy height model (CHM) based on digital elevation models derived from the UAV photogrammetric point clouds. A watershed-based approach is modified to automatically detect and delineate the tree crowns, based on the CHM and the brightness information from the UAV orthomosaics. The accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated by comparing its results against manually delineated tree crowns. The results show an overall accuracy of 63%, where conifer species were more accurately delineated (up to 80%), while broadleaf species returned lower accuracies (<50 % ). Continued research is necessary to improve the confidence of automated individual tree crown detection and delineation, especially over complex forest structures.
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