Forest mapping using 3D data from SPOT-5 HRS and Z/I DMC

The nation-wide Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) currently performed by the Swedish National Land Survey will provide a new and accurate Digital Elevation Model (DEM). These data will enable new and cost-efficient assessments of vegetation height using Canopy Height Models (CHMs) derived as the difference between a Digital Surface Model (DSM) and the DEM. In this context, the High Resolution Stereoscopic (HRS) sensor onboard SPOT-5 and the airborne Z/I Digital Mapping Camera (DMC) used for operational aerial photography by the Swedish National Land Survey are of main interest. Previous research has shown that reliable tree height data are a powerful source of information for forest management planning. This study investigated the possibilities to map forest variables using CHMs derived from either the SPOT-5 HRS or Z/I DMC sensor together with ALS DEM data, in combination with spectral data from the SPOT-5 High Resolution Geometric (HRG) sensor. The results when using the Z/I DMC CHM in combination with SPOT-5 HRG data showed Root Mean Square Errors for standwise prediction of mean tree height, stem diameter, and stem volume of 7.3%, 9.0%, and 19%, respectively. The SPOT-5 HRS CHM in combination with SPOT-5 HRG data improved the SPOT HRG based estimates from 13% to 10%, 15% to 13%, and 31% to 23%, for tree height, stem diameter, and stem volume, respectively. Adding CHM data to a SPOT-5 HRG based prediction model improved the mapping accuracy between 13% to 44%. In conclusion, the obtained accuracies may be sufficient for operational forest management planning.