Biomass and volume profile of the scots pine (pinus sylvestris l.) In the Niepolomice Forest based on terrestrial laser scanning data – a case study

Piotr Wężyk
University of Agriculture in Krakow
Faculty of Forestry
Laboratory of Geomatics
Poland

Marta Szostak
University of Agriculture in Krakow
Faculty of Forestry
Laboratory of Geomatics
Poland

Piotr Tompalski
University of Agriculture in Krakow
Faculty of Forestry
Laboratory of Geomatics
Poland

Abstract

The state of the art technology like Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) allows measuring the 3D structure of real world objects, including trees. The data delivered by the TLS - very dense point clouds - represent shapes and surfaces of the objects and their type (e.g. using intensity of the laser beam). Forest ecosystem plays an important role in the regulation of the carbon dioxide (CO2) content in the atmosphere and in carbon sequestration as well. In forest, carbon is stored in wood biomass: tree trunks, branches, roots, foliage (needles and leaves) and in the organic material in soil. Using GIS spatial analyses for the carbon sequestration modeling, the 2D information seems to be not sufficient. 3D information of the spatial biomass and volume distribution is needed and is important not only for forest professionals, but also for energy policy and international conventions.
The study was done in the Niepolomice Forest in the mature Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stand (Regional Forest Directorate Krakow. compartment 153f). The age of the stand was 147 years and mean values of DBH 42 cm and height 27 m. The study circular plot (r=18m; area ~1000sqm) consisted of 16 pines (mean: DBH 46 cm; H = 26.0 m) which were scanned using the FARO PHOTON 80. The 4 scans (1 central position and 3 additional around the central one) were made to get full representation of the tree stems and crowns (branches with needles). Tree number 13 (DBH 52.7 cm; H 28.3 m; crown length 8.6 m. crown width 9.3 m) was selected for the biomass study. The stem diameter and perimeter was measured every 1m (section) to get the references for the TLS analysis. The wet biomass of the selected tree parts was: 490.0 kg - branches. 109.3 kg shoots with needles 13.5 kg – mistletoe. The sum of the wet crown biomass was 612.8 kg (96.3 t/ha). The laboratory elaboration based of 6 samples from the crown allowed to receive the dry biomass of crown (53.3 kg) and its fractions: needles 34.0 kg, shoots 19.3 kg. The obtained results were compared to empiric formula (Socha, Wężyk 2007), which delivered results for the wet biomass of shots with needles 104.1 kg (4.8 % difference) and dry biomass 71.2 kg (33.5 % difference). Based on the voxel analysis of the TLS data the vertical characteristic of the volume and biomass distribution was determined.

Keywords:

above ground biomass; TLS; voxel; carbon sequestration

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