Summary
Paru dans Canadian Journal of Forest Research, vol. 4, p. 1750-1757.
A shadow fraction method was previously developed for mapping forest attributes of northern black spruce forests. This paper evaluates application of the method to (i) balsam fir stands, (ii) stands with higher volume and biomass than those of previous studies, and (iii) stands with a higher composition of deciduous trees and steeper slopes. Models developed for new test sites in central Labrador and western Newfoundland were not statistically different from previous models for biomass, volume, and basal area. Relative root-mean-square errors (RMSEr) for central Labrador were slightly lower than those found in other test sites (RMSEr = 24%–29%) but higher for western Newfoundland (RMSEr = 37%–43%), attributed to the higher upper limit of measured attributes and increased presence of deciduous trees. Results suggest that reasonable estimates can be generated for conifer forests of northeastern Canada; however, an alternative solution is needed where mixed and deciduous stands prevail. Measurement of ground plots over a wider range of species composition and forest structure is recommended for broader application to northern boreal forests and to further assess the potential role of the shadow fraction method in national-scale inventory programs.
File
Sector(s):
Forests
Categorie(s):
Scientific Article
Theme(s):
Cartography and Data, Imaging and LiDAR
Departmental author(s):
Author(s)
LUTHER, Joan E., Richard A. FOURNIER, Mélanie HOULE, Antoine LEBOEUF and Douglas E. PIERCY
Year of publication :
2012
Keywords :
boreal forest, forest mapping, remote sensing, shadow fraction method, stand attributes, volume, basal area, biomass
