Segmentation of ALSM point data and the prediction of subcanopy sunlight distribution

Sunlight flux in forest canopies is an important source of energy for the productivity of forests and is therefore an important input to biophysical process models. High-resolution three-dimensional estimates of sunlight flux are derived from directional foliage density measured from airborne laser swath mapping data. Forest edges are shown to exhibit measurable differences in flux. A method for determining appropriate in situ sampling intervals is also presented.