Mapping forest above-ground biomass and its changes from LVIS waveform data

Biomass at local to regional scales is important for carbon cycle study and monitoring the ecosystem responses to natural and human activities. This paper directly quantify biomass and its changes at 1-ha (100 m) spatial resolution from LiDAR footprint-level waveform data. A large-footprint full-waveform LiDAR (LVIS) data were acquired in Penobscot County, Maine State (USA) in August, 2003 and 2009. Field data were collected during the October 2003, and August of 2009 to 2011. The developed models using field measurements at waveform footprints were applied to all LVIS waveforms within the study site. Plots at 0.25-ha, 0.5-ha and 1-ha were used to validate the biomass averaged from footprints measured in these plots. The effect of forest disturbances on LiDAR biomass prediction models was investigated in the study. The results show that: 1) the prediction accuracy of models at footprint-level was acceptable at various plot-levels; 2) the footprint-level models could be applied for forest biomass with consideration of forest disturbance; 3) the 1-ha (100 m) was a proper scale for mapping of forest biomass and its change detection.