[Back]


Talks and Poster Presentations (with Proceedings-Entry):

W. Mücke, M. Hollaus, M. Prinz:
"Derivation of 3D landscape metrics from airborne laser scanning data";
Talk: 10th International Conference on LiDAR Applications for Assessing Forest Ecosystems (Silvilaser 2010), Freiburg, Germany; 2010-09-14 - 2010-09-17; in: "Silvilaser 2010", (2010), 11 pages.



English abstract:
One of the key-research topics in landscape ecology is the analysis and characterization
of landscape pattern and structure. A description of these two features is commonly
achieved through derivation of various metrics (e.g. Contagion, Dominance or Fractal
Dimension) for the assessment of landscape connectivity, fragmentation and patch
shape complexity.
Up to now, only very few analyses in landscape ecology have been carried out on the
basis of airborne laser scanning (ALS) data, while the majority is based on either aerial
or satellite based imagery supported by conventional field survey. However, airborne
and space borne images exhibit a critical drawback in comparison to laser
measurements. Images can not display information from below the canopy surface, as
the measurement method is not able to penetrate it. Consequently, the derivation of
landscape metrics from such data is merely 2D. It can not account for the vertical
structure of vegetation, a key element in forestry and the assessment of structural
diversity and, as such, landscape ecology.
The laser pulses, on the other hand, are able to penetrate through little gaps in the
canopy surface and can provide information on the vertical and horizontal distribution
of vegetation. The aim of this study is to make use of the 3D information and
penetration capability of ALS for the derivation of novel landscape metrics. The
presented approach exploits the collected information about the vegetation layer
structure in order to describe not only if two landscape patches are connected, but how
this connection is composed in terms of vertical structure of the plants building the
patches. It therefore integrates knowledge of under storey or herbaceous vegetation into
the shape metrics. Additionally, 3D shape metrics that relate the surface of a patch or
corridor canopy surface to its enfolded volume are introduced. In this way, information
about the three-dimensional interconnection of adjacent landscape patches is obtained.


Electronic version of the publication:
http://publik.tuwien.ac.at/files/PubDat_189431.pdf


Created from the Publication Database of the Vienna University of Technology.