Algorithms and Methods of Airborne Laser Scanning for Forest Measurements

Extracting forest variables from airborne laser scanner has less than 10 years of history. During that time, however, a new area in the field of forest studies has emerged. This paper describes existing algorithms and methods of airborne laser scanning that are used for forest measurements. The methods are divided into the following categories: 1) extraction of DTM (digital terrain model), 2) extraction of canopy height, 3) extraction of statistical variables from laser data, 4) extraction of individual tree information using image processing techniques, 5) integrating aerial image data with laser scanner, 6) use of intensity and waveform information, and 7) use of change detection methods.