Improving AGB estimations by integrating tree height and crown radius from multisource remote sensing

Abstract

Precise estimation of forest above ground biomass (AGB) is essential for assessing its ecological functions and determining forest carbon stocks. It is difficult to directly obtain diameter at breast height (DBH) based on remote sensing imagery. Therefore, it is crucial to accurately estimate the AGB with features extracted directly from RS. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of estimating AGB from crown radius (R) and tree height (H) features extracted from multi-source RS data. Accurate information on tree height (H), crown radius (R), and diameter at breast height (DBH) can be obtained through point clouds generated by airborne laser scanning (ALS) and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), respectively. Nine allometric growth equations were used to fit coniferous forests (Larix principis-rupprechtii) and broadleaf forests (Fraxinus chinensis and Sophora japonica). The fitting performance of models constructed using only "H" or "R" was compared with that of models constructed using both combined. The results showed that the quadratic polynomial model constructed with "H+R" fitted the AGB estimation better in each vegetation type, especially in the scenario of mixed tall and short coniferous forests, in which the R2 and RMSE were 0.9282 and 25.30 kg (rRMSE 17.31%), respectively. Therefore, using high-resolution data to extract crown radius and tree height can achieve high-precision, global-scale estimation of forest above ground biomass.