Predicting Tree Diameter Distributions

Abstract

Diameter distribution of trees is an important stand attribute thatdescribes stand structure in terms of volume, biomass, value, growth andbiodiversity factors. Diameter distribution can be characterized usingdifferent approaches such as probability density functions,percentile-based distributions or nearest neighbour applications. Wereview the research related to airborne laser scanning (ALS)-basedpredictions of diameter distributions. This includes the above-mentionedplot level approaches, as well as predicting the diameter of individualtrees and combinations of different approaches. Although ALS does notdirectly measure tree diameter, there is a strong statisticalrelationship between ALS metrics and the characteristics of a diameterdistribution. The capability of ALS to reproduce different shapes ofdiameter distribution is the most notable feature of these applications.