Application of allometric systems for compatible area-based LiDAR-assisted estimation in the Province of Nova Scotia

Abstract

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is used to estimate tree, stand, and forest characteristics across large geographic areas. In the province of Nova Scotia, an enhanced forest inventory (EFI) was developed to provide high-resolution spatial forest inventory estimates across the landscape. For various forest attributes, independent LiDAR-based relationships were built leading to mathematical and biological inconsistency among forest attribute estimates. A systems approach, composed of allometric equations describing the relationships between volume per unit area, Lorey’s average height, basal area, quadratic mean diameter, and density, is developed to address these inconsistencies. Previous results showed that applying the systems approach provided reasonable and compatible estimates and eliminated inconsistency issues among forest attributes. This study evaluates application of the systems approach applied to eastern Nova Scotia using field data from a network of permanent sample plots and recent LiDAR acquisitions. The independent EFI estimates had inconsistencies of greater than 100% for basal area and implied stand-level form factor. These inconsistencies were eliminated using the systems approach. Results show that the systems approach can be scaled to larger landscape areas and that long-term field data can be leveraged to fit the allometric systems producing mathematically and biologically consistent estimates.