3D documentation and classification of incense tree (Lour.) Spreng. wounds by photogrammetry and its potential conservation applications.

In recent years, illegal felling of and damage to the incense tree (Lour.) Spreng. have been reported in Hong Kong. Their native populations are under increasingly severe threat. Therefore, the development of a standard and efficient method to classify and document wounds on vulnerable trees is urgently needed for conservation purposes. In this study, photogrammetry was used to document wounds in through 3D modeling. A total of 752 wound records from 484 individual trees from Hong Kong were included to establish a new wound classification system. Our major findings include a novel standardized procedure for photogrammetric documentation and a wound classification system. The results of this study will facilitate conservation, by enhancing wound documentation and information transfer to law enforcement and education.