The Uncertainty of Plot-Scale Forest Height Estimates from Complementary Spaceborne Observations in the Taiga-Tundra Ecotone
Satellite-based estimates of vegetation structure capture broad-scale vegetation characteristics as well as differences in vegetation structure at plot-scales. Active remote sensing from laser altimetry and radar systems is regularly used to measure vegetation height and infer vegetation structural...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2014-10-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/6/10/10070 |
| _version_ | 1818997864153481216 |
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| author | Paul M. Montesano Guoqing Sun Ralph Dubayah Kenneth J. Ranson |
| author_facet | Paul M. Montesano Guoqing Sun Ralph Dubayah Kenneth J. Ranson |
| author_sort | Paul M. Montesano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Satellite-based estimates of vegetation structure capture broad-scale vegetation characteristics as well as differences in vegetation structure at plot-scales. Active remote sensing from laser altimetry and radar systems is regularly used to measure vegetation height and infer vegetation structural attributes, however, the current uncertainty of their spaceborne measurements is likely to mask actual plot-scale differences in vertical structures in sparse forests. In the taiga (boreal forest)—tundra ecotone (TTE) the accumulated effect of subtle plot-scale differences in vegetation height across broad-scales may be significant. This paper examines the uncertainty of plot-scale forest canopy height measurements in northern Siberia Larix stands by combining complementary canopy surface elevations derived from satellite photogrammetry and ground elevations derived from the Geosciences Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) from the ICESat-1 satellite. With a linear model, spaceborne-derived canopy height measurements at the plot-scale predicted TTE stand height ~5 m–~10 m tall (R2 = 0.55, bootstrapped 95% confidence interval of R2 = 0.36–0.74) with an uncertainty ranging from ±0.86 m–1.37 m. A larger sample may mitigate the broad uncertainty of the model fit, however, the methodology provides a means for capturing plot-scale canopy height and its uncertainty from spaceborne data at GLAS footprints in sparse TTE forests and may serve as a basis for scaling up plot-level TTE vegetation height measurements to forest patches. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T21:52:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-902d85e4ba7e45ef9a8ec4d62503a039 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T21:52:24Z |
| publishDate | 2014-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-902d85e4ba7e45ef9a8ec4d62503a0392022-12-21T19:25:32ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922014-10-01610100701008810.3390/rs61010070rs61010070The Uncertainty of Plot-Scale Forest Height Estimates from Complementary Spaceborne Observations in the Taiga-Tundra EcotonePaul M. Montesano0Guoqing Sun1Ralph Dubayah2Kenneth J. Ranson3Biospheric Sciences Laboratory, Code 618, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USABiospheric Sciences Laboratory, Code 618, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USADepartment of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USABiospheric Sciences Laboratory, Code 618, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USASatellite-based estimates of vegetation structure capture broad-scale vegetation characteristics as well as differences in vegetation structure at plot-scales. Active remote sensing from laser altimetry and radar systems is regularly used to measure vegetation height and infer vegetation structural attributes, however, the current uncertainty of their spaceborne measurements is likely to mask actual plot-scale differences in vertical structures in sparse forests. In the taiga (boreal forest)—tundra ecotone (TTE) the accumulated effect of subtle plot-scale differences in vegetation height across broad-scales may be significant. This paper examines the uncertainty of plot-scale forest canopy height measurements in northern Siberia Larix stands by combining complementary canopy surface elevations derived from satellite photogrammetry and ground elevations derived from the Geosciences Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) from the ICESat-1 satellite. With a linear model, spaceborne-derived canopy height measurements at the plot-scale predicted TTE stand height ~5 m–~10 m tall (R2 = 0.55, bootstrapped 95% confidence interval of R2 = 0.36–0.74) with an uncertainty ranging from ±0.86 m–1.37 m. A larger sample may mitigate the broad uncertainty of the model fit, however, the methodology provides a means for capturing plot-scale canopy height and its uncertainty from spaceborne data at GLAS footprints in sparse TTE forests and may serve as a basis for scaling up plot-level TTE vegetation height measurements to forest patches.http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/6/10/10070ecotonetaigatundraspaceborneuncertaintyvegetationstructureLiDARstereophotogrammetry |
| spellingShingle | Paul M. Montesano Guoqing Sun Ralph Dubayah Kenneth J. Ranson The Uncertainty of Plot-Scale Forest Height Estimates from Complementary Spaceborne Observations in the Taiga-Tundra Ecotone Remote Sensing ecotone taiga tundra spaceborne uncertainty vegetation structure LiDAR stereo photogrammetry |
| title | The Uncertainty of Plot-Scale Forest Height Estimates from Complementary Spaceborne Observations in the Taiga-Tundra Ecotone |
| title_full | The Uncertainty of Plot-Scale Forest Height Estimates from Complementary Spaceborne Observations in the Taiga-Tundra Ecotone |
| title_fullStr | The Uncertainty of Plot-Scale Forest Height Estimates from Complementary Spaceborne Observations in the Taiga-Tundra Ecotone |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Uncertainty of Plot-Scale Forest Height Estimates from Complementary Spaceborne Observations in the Taiga-Tundra Ecotone |
| title_short | The Uncertainty of Plot-Scale Forest Height Estimates from Complementary Spaceborne Observations in the Taiga-Tundra Ecotone |
| title_sort | uncertainty of plot scale forest height estimates from complementary spaceborne observations in the taiga tundra ecotone |
| topic | ecotone taiga tundra spaceborne uncertainty vegetation structure LiDAR stereo photogrammetry |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/6/10/10070 |
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