Caracterizacąõ do perfil vertical do dossel de um trecho de Mata Atlântica através de escaneamento laser aerotransportado

Abstract

The search for relatively homogeneous vertical layers in the canopy of a forest can facilitate studies so that inferences about the ecosystem structure of complex arboreal groups can be obtained more accurately. The objective of this study was to characterize the vertical profile of the forest canopy in an area of dense rain forest ("Mata Atlântica" biome) by means of an ALS (Airborne Laser Scanning) assessment. Supported by a hierarchical cluster analysis, we considered classes of one meter height that ended up grouped in eight strata with minimum co-linearity among classes. Among these height classes, the k-means method indicated that the cells of the regular grid covering the entire study area could be clustered into four groups of vertical profile: low (ALS points between 7 and 11 meters), medium-low (ALS points between 15 and 18 meters), medium-high (ALS points between 19 and 22 meters) and high (ALS points between 23 and 26 meters). These groups reflect characteristics of the vertical profile of the canopy at the study scale, as well as structural differences in the landscape. The obtained groups showed coherent spatial distribution to the local topography and correspondence to ecological surveys previously conducted in the field by other authors.