A Comparison of Three Airborne Laser Scanner Types for Species Identification of Individual Trees.

Species identification is a critical factor for obtaining accurate forest inventories. This paper compares the same method of tree species identification (at the individual crown level) across three different types of airborne laser scanning systems (ALS): two linear lidar systems (monospectral and multispectral) and one single-photon lidar (SPL) system to ascertain whether current individual tree crown (ITC) species classification methods are applicable across all sensors. SPL is a new type of sensor that promises comparable point densities from higher flight altitudes, thereby increasing lidar coverage.

Spatial modeling of daily concentrations of ground-level ozone in Montreal, Canada: A comparison of geostatistical approaches.

Ground-level ozone (O) is a powerful oxidizing agent and a harmful pollutant affecting human health, forests and crops. Estimating O exposure is a challenge because it exhibits complex spatiotemporal patterns. The aim in this study was to provide high-resolution maps (100 × 100 m) of O for the metropolitan area of Montreal, Canada.

Spatio-temporal models to estimate daily concentrations of fine particulate matter in Montreal: Kriging with external drift and inverse distance-weighted approaches.

Air pollution is a major environmental and health problem, especially in urban agglomerations. Estimating personal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) remains a great challenge because it requires numerous point measurements to explain the daily spatial variation in pollutant levels.

Response of female beetles to LIDAR derived topographic variables in Eastern boreal mixedwood forests (Coleoptera, Carabidae).

Biodiversity monitoring is increasingly being bolstered with high resolution data derived from remote sensing such as LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). We derived a series of topographical variables, including slope, azimuth, ground curvature and flow accumulation from LIDAR images and compared these to captures of female carabids in pitfall traps in Eastern boreal mixedwood forests. We developed a series of species-specific logistic models predicting the proportion of females for eight dominant species, including Agonum retractum, Calathus ingratus, Platynus decentis, Pterostichus adstrictus, Pterostichus coracinus, Pterostichus pensylvanicus, Sphaeroderus nitidicollis and Synuchus impunctatus.

Response of a boreal forest to canopy opening: assessing vertical and lateral tree growth with multi-temporal lidar data.

Fine-scale height-growth response of boreal trees to canopy openings is difficult to measure from the ground, and there are important limitations in using stereophotogrammetry in defining gaps and determining individual crowns and height. However, precise knowledge on height growth response to different openings is critical for refining partial harvesting techniques. In this study, we question whether conifers and hardwoods respond equally in terms of sapling growth or lateral growth to openings.

Implications of differing input data sources and approaches upon forest carbon stock estimation.

Site index is an important forest inventory attribute that relates productivity and growth expectation of forests over time. In forest inventory programs, site index is used in conjunction with other forest inventory attributes (i.e.