Measuring tree diameter using a LiDAR-equipped smartphone: a comparison of smartphone- and caliper-based DBH

Gülci, Sercan; Yurtseven, Hüseyin; Akay, Anıl Orhan; Akgül, Mustafa

doi:10.1007/s10661-023-11366-8

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…MLSs are considered efficient alternatives to TLSs to mitigate occlusion problems [40,41]. They can be mounted on different platforms, such as smartphones [42], backpacks [43], cars [44], or handheld devices. Handheld mobile laser scanners (HMLSs), in particular, are among the most widely used MLSs in forestry [41].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Handheld Mobile Laser Scanner Systems for the Definition of Fuel Types in Structurally Complex Mediterranean Forest Stands

Hoffrén,

Lamelas,

de la Riva

2024

Fire

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The exposure of Mediterranean forests to large wildfires requires mechanisms to prevent and mitigate their negative effects on the territory and ecosystems. Fuel models synthesize the complexity and heterogeneity of forest fuels and allow for the understanding and modeling of fire behavior. However, it is sometimes challenging to define the fuel type in a structurally heterogeneous forest stand due to the mixture of characteristics from the different types and limitations of qualitative field observations and passive and active airborne remote sensing. This can impact the performance of classification models that rely on the in situ identification of fuel types as the ground truth, which can lead to a mistaken prediction of fuel types over larger areas in fire prediction models. In this study, a handheld mobile laser scanner (HMLS) system was used to assess its capability to define Prometheus fuel types in 43 forest plots in Aragón (NE Spain). The HMLS system captured the vertical and horizontal distribution of fuel at an extremely high resolution to derive high-density three-dimensional point clouds (average: 63,148 points/m2), which were discretized into voxels of 0.05 m3. The total number of voxels in each 5 cm height stratum was calculated to quantify the fuel volume in each stratum, providing the vertical distribution of fuels (m3/m2) for each plot at a centimetric scale. Additionally, the fuel volume was computed for each Prometheus height stratum (0.60, 2, and 4 m) in each plot. The Prometheus fuel types were satisfactorily identified in each plot and were compared with the fuel types estimated in the field. This led to the modification of the ground truth in 10 out of the 43 plots, resulting in errors being found in the field estimation between types FT2–FT3, FT5–FT6, and FT6–FT7. These results demonstrate the ability of the HMLS systems to capture fuel heterogeneity at centimetric scales for the definition of fuel types in the field in Mediterranean forests, making them powerful tools for fuel mapping, fire modeling, and ultimately for improving wildfire prevention and forest management.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Handheld Mobile Laser Scanner Systems for the Definition of Fuel Types in Structurally Complex Mediterranean Forest Stands

Hoffrén,

Lamelas,

de la Riva

2024

Fire

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“…IMU errors contribute to scanned features with low surface fidelities, especially when significant movement occurs during the acquisition of a given point cloud [25,26]. Other factors contributing to IMU errors include changes in walking speed, rapid movements, or turning the iPad during the course of a scan [5,11,22,24]. IMU errors were present in this study as well, with misaligned tree cross-sections encountered several times.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

“…This study achieved an overall RMSE of 1.5 cm (8.6%) for DBH values estimated from iPad Pro LiDAR data for 15 sites in the boreal forest. This is a lower RMSE than those reported in several previous studies using the iPad Pro to estimate DBH, such as: an urban park (Slovakia), 2.8 cm (7.0%) and 5.2 cm (13.0%); a research forest (Austria), 3.1 cm (10.5%) and 6.3 cm (21.2%); natural and plantation forests (Japan), 2.3 cm (10.5%); and, a university campus (Turkey), 2.3 cm (11.7%) [5,[22][23][24]. A previous study using the same methodology as used in this study reported an RMSE of 1.1 cm (6.2%) for a plantation forest in Canada [11].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tree Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) Estimation Using an iPad Pro LiDAR Scanner: A Case Study in Boreal Forests, Ontario, Canada

Guenther,

Heenkenda,

Morris

et al. 2024

Forests

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The aim of this study was to determine whether the iPad Pro 12th generation LiDAR sensor is useful to measure tree diameter at breast height (DBH) in natural boreal forests. This is a follow-up to a previous study that was conducted in a research forest and identified the optimal method for (DBH) estimation as a circular scanning and fitting ellipses to 4 cm stem cross-sections at breast height. The iPad Pro LiDAR scanner was used to acquire point clouds for 15 sites representing a range of natural boreal forest conditions in Ontario, Canada, and estimate DBH. The secondary objective was to determine if tested stand (species composition, age, density, understory) or tree (species, DBH) factors affected the accuracy of estimated DBH. Overall, estimated DBH values were within 1 cm of actual DBH values for 78 of 133 measured trees (59%). An RMSE of 1.5 cm (8.6%) was achieved. Stand age had a large effect (>0.15) on the accuracy of estimated DBH values, while density, understory, and DBH had moderate effects (0.05–0.14). No trend was identified between accuracy and stand age. Accuracy improved as understory density decreased and as tree DBH increased. Inertial measurement unit (IMU) and positional accuracy errors with the iPad Pro scanner limit the feasibility of using this device for forest inventories.

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Augmented reality for measuring diameter at breast height using the iPhone measure app: outcomes on tree- and stand-level estimates of basal area in a Carpathian mixed forest

Apăfăian,

Avasiloaie,

Vasilescu

2024

Eur J Forest Res

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Measuring tree diameter using a LiDAR-equipped smartphone: a comparison of smartphone- and caliper-based DBH

Cited by 7 publications

References 56 publications

Evaluation of Handheld Mobile Laser Scanner Systems for the Definition of Fuel Types in Structurally Complex Mediterranean Forest Stands

Evaluation of Handheld Mobile Laser Scanner Systems for the Definition of Fuel Types in Structurally Complex Mediterranean Forest Stands

Tree Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) Estimation Using an iPad Pro LiDAR Scanner: A Case Study in Boreal Forests, Ontario, Canada

Augmented reality for measuring diameter at breast height using the iPhone measure app: outcomes on tree- and stand-level estimates of basal area in a Carpathian mixed forest

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