A Fully Automatic Forest Parameters Extraction at Single-Tree Level: A Comparison of MLS and TLS Applications

Abstract

Abstract. Forests are vital for ecological, economic, and social reasons, and adopting sustainable forest management practices is necessary. While traditional forest monitoring techniques provide detailed data, they are time-consuming; conversely, geomatic techniques can provide more detailed data for forest resource management. This study aims to assess the suitability of Mobile Mapping Systems (MMS) with simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) technology for precision forestry purposes in challenging environments. We compared the performance of MMS data with Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) data and evaluated the Forest Structural Complexity Tool (FSCT), which was developed for TLS datasets, on MMS data. The case study area is a highly sloped coniferous forest in the Italian Alps affected by a severe fire in 2017. Data were processed using a fully automated open-source Python tool that detects each tree's position, Diameter at Breast Height (DBH), and height. The validation procedure was conducted with respect to the TLS point cloud manually segmented. The results show that using MMS with SLAM technology is suitable for precision forestry purposes in challenging environments and that FSCT performs well on MMS data.

Prompt Mapping Tree Positions with Handheld Mobile Scanners Based on SLAM Technology

“…The FSCT algorithm attained RMSE values consistent with the reference measurements for diameter (6 cm) and height (approximately 3 m). These values correspond to 37% of the average height and 26% of the average DBH values in described research [52].…”

A Handheld Laser-Scanning-Based Methodology for Monitoring Tree Growth in Chestnut Orchards

“…MLS, based on HHLS with an integrated simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm, offers exceptional flexibility and mobility, overcoming some problems associated with the use of multi-scan TLS methods. However, the downside of MLS compared to TLS lies in its limited accuracy and the presence of noise [ 20 , 21 ].…”