Characterizing individual tree‐level snags using airborne lidar‐derived forest canopy gaps within closed‐canopy conifer forests

Airborne lidar is often used to calculate forest metrics about trees, but it may also provide a wealth of information the space between trees. Forest canopy gaps are defined by absence vegetative structure and serve important roles for wildlife, such as facilitating animal movement. occur around snags, keystone structures that substrates wildlife species breeding, roosting foraging. We wanted test method quantifying individual snags live with working hypothesis would have more surrounding them overall than evaluated (n = 270) trees 2,186) correlations snag occurrence in dense conifer stands Idaho Panhandle National Forest, United States. paired airborne ground reference data collected at fixed-radius plots 53) evaluate local gap structure. The r package ForestGapR was quantify throughout determine where differences were greatest. A profile created each tree mapping (a) vertically every 2 m height (2–50 above-ground), (b) horizontally across small (16 m2), medium (36 m2) large (64 footprint sizes. Our results suggest this robust profiles distinctly different within area relative greatest occurred mid-canopy heights (~20 above-ground) smallest size m2). These show potential improve understanding dynamics closed-canopy forests, we modelling could be improved incorporating lidar-derived analyses alongside existing methodologies.