Background: Deep Learning Algorithms (DLA) have become prominent as an application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Techniques since 2010. This paper introduces the DLA to predict the relationships between individual tree height (ITH) and the diameter at breast height (DBH). Methods: A set of 2024 pairs of individual height and diameter at breast height measurements, originating from 150 sample plots located in stands of even aged and pure Anatolian Crimean Pine (Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold ssp. pallasiana (Lamb.) Holmboe) in Konya Forest Enterprise. The present study primarily investigated the capability and usability of DLA models for predicting the relationships between the ITH and the DBH sampled from some stands with different growth structures. The 80 different DLA models, which involve different the alternatives for the numbers of hidden layers and neuron, have been trained and compared to determine optimum and best predictive DLAs network structure. Results: It was determined that the DLA model with 9 layers and 100 neurons has been the best predictive network model compared as those by other different DLA, Artificial Neural Network, Nonlinear Regression and Nonlinear Mixed Effect models. The alternative of 100 # neurons and 9 # hidden layers in deep learning algorithms resulted in best predictive ITH values with root mean squared error (RMSE, 0.5575), percent of the root mean squared error (RMSE%, 4.9504%), Akaike information criterion (AIC, − 998.9540), Bayesian information criterion (BIC, 884.6591), fit index (FI, 0.9436), average absolute error (AAE, 0.4077), maximum absolute error (max. AE, 2.5106), Bias (0.0057) and percent Bias (Bias%, 0.0502%). In addition, these predictive results with DLAs were further validated by the Equivalence tests that showed the DLA models successfully predicted the tree height in the independent dataset. Conclusion: This study has emphasized the capability of the DLA models, novel artificial intelligence technique, for predicting the relationships between individual tree height and the diameter at breast height that can be required information for the management of forests.

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Diameter at breast height (DBH) is the simplest, most common and most important tree dimension in forest inventory and is closely correlated with wood volume, height and biomass. In this study, a number of linear and nonlinear models predicting diameter at breast height from stump diameter were developed and evaluated for Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) stands located in the forest region of Ayancık, in the northeast of Turkey. A set of 1,501 pairs of diameter at breast height-stump measurements, originating from 70 sample plots of even-aged Oriental beech stands, were used in this study. About 80 % of the otal data (1,160 trees in 55 sample plots) was used to fit a number of linear and nonlinear model parameters; the remaining 341 trees in 15 sample plots were randomly reserved for model validation and calibration response. The power model data set was found to produce the most satisfactory fits with the Ad-

The objective of this study is to evaluate the relationships between stand parameters (stand volume, basal area and dominant height), and band reflectance values and six vegetation indices (VIs) obtained from pan-sharpened, IKONOS satellite image in Artvin-Genya Mountain located in northeastern part of Turkey. Multiple stepwise regression analysis is used to estimate the stand parameters. The results indicated that a linear combination of EVI and DVI for stand volume and basal area (adjusted R 2 =0.55; a root mean square error (RMSE)=153.53 m 3 ha -1 and adjusted R 2 =0.59; RMSE=12.37 m 2 ha -1 ), respectively, and a linear combination of SAVI, EVI and DVI for dominant height (adjusted R 2 =0.57; RMSE=3.80 m) were better predictors than a linear combination of IKONOS Band 1and Band 4 for stand volume and basal area, and the IKONOS Band 1 and Band 2 for dominant height (R 2 =0.41; RMSE=181.01 m 3 ha -1 , R 2 =0.43; RMSE=14.84 m 2 ha -1 and R 2 =0.45; RMSE=4.62 m), respectively. This study concludes that the regression models developed with IKONOS VIs were able to predict stand parameters better than do the IKONOS band reflectance values in Artvin-Genya Mountain forest areas.

The objective of this study is to estimate the leaf area index (LAI) of a forest ecosystem using two different satellite images, WorldView-2 and Aster. For this purpose, 108 sample plots were taken from pure Crimean pine forest stands of Yenice Forest Management Planning Unit in Ilgaz Forest Management Enterprise, Turkey. Each sample plot was imaged with hemispherical photographs with a fish-eye camera to determine the LAI. These photographs were analyzed with the help of Hemisfer Hemiview software program, and thus, the LAI of each sample plot was estimated. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis method was used to model the statistical relationships between the LAI values and band spectral reflection values and some vegetation indices (Vis) obtained from satellite images. The results show that the high-resolution WorldView-2 satellite image is better than the medium-resolution Aster satellite image in predicting the LAI. It was also seen that the results obtained by using the VIs are better than the bands when the LAI value is predicted with satellite images.

Aim of Study: As an innovative prediction technique, Artificial Intelligence technique based on a Deep Learning Algorithm (DLA) with various numbers of neurons and hidden layer alternatives were trained and evaluated to predict the relationships between total tree height (TTH) and diameter at breast height (DBH) with nonlinear least squared (NLS) regression models and nonlinear mixed effect (NLME) regression models.Area of Study: The data of this study were measured from even-aged, pure Turkish Pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) stands in the Kestel Forests located in the Bursa region of northwestern Turkey.Material and Methods: 1132 pairs of TTH-DBH measurements from 132 sample plots were used for modeling relationships between TTH, DBH, and stand attributes such as dominant height (Ho) and diameter (Do).Main Results: The combination of 100 # neurons and 8 # hidden layer in DLA resulted in the best predictive total height prediction values with Average Absolute Error (0.4188), max. Average Absolute Error (3.7598), Root Mean Squared Error (0.6942), Root Mean Squared error % (5.2164), Akaike Information Criteria (-345.4465), Bayesian Information Criterion (-330.836), the average Bias (0.0288) and the average Bias % (0.2166), and fitting abilities with r (0.9842) and Fit Index (0.9684). Also, the results of equivalence tests showed that the DLA technique successfully predicted the TTH in the validation dataset.Research highlights: These superior fitting scores coupled with the validation results in TTH predictions suggested that deep learning network models should be considered an alternative to the traditional nonlinear regression techniques and should be given importance as an innovative prediction technique.Keywords: Prediction; artificial intelligence; deep learning algorithms; number of neurons; hidden layer alternatives.Abbreviations: TTH (total tree height), DBH (diameter at breast height), OLS (ordinary least squares), NLME (nonlinear mixed effect), AIT (Artificial Intelligence Techniques), ANN (Artificial Neural Network), DLA (Deep Learning Algorithm), GPU (Graphical Processing Units), NLS (nonlinear least squared), RMSE (root mean squared error), AIC (Akaike information criteria), BIC (Bayesian information criterion), FI (fit index), AAE (average absolute error), BLUP (best linear unbiased predictor), TOST (two one-sided test method).

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