Analysis of parameters for the accurate and fast estimation of tree diameter at breast height based on simulated point cloud

Abstract

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) is a high-potential technology in forest surveys. Estimating the diameters at breast height (DBH) accurately and quickly has been considered a key step in estimating forest structural parameters by using TLS technology. However, the accuracy and speed of DBH estimation are affected by many factors, which are classified into three groups in this study. We adopt an additive error model and propose a simple and common simulation method to evaluate the impacts of three groups of parameters, which include the range error, angular errors in the vertical and horizontal directions, angular step width, trunk distance, slice thickness, and real DBH. The parameters were evaluated statistically by using many simulated point cloud datasets that were under strict control. Two typical circle fitting methods were used to estimate DBH, and their accuracy and speed were compared. The results showed that the range error and the angular error in horizontal direction played major roles in the accuracy of DBH estimation, the angular step widths had a slight effect in the case of high range accuracy, the distance showed no relationship with the accuracy of the DBH estimation, increasing the scanning angular width was relatively beneficial to the DBH estimation, and the algebraic circle fitting method was relatively fast while performing DBH estimation, as is the geometrical method, in the case of high range accuracy. Possible methods that could help to obtain accurate and fast DBH estimation results were proposed and discussed to optimize the design of forest inventory experiments.