Forest Inventory in New

Brunswick: A Year with LiDAR

Adam Dick

New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources

NEMO/SOMENS – November 2014

New Brunswick

• 750,000 people

• 7.3 million hectares

• 83% forested

• 9.5 million m3 of wood harvested in 2012

• Forest industry - 30% of total manufacturing output

• 5.1% of provincial GDP (2012)

• Most forestry dependent province in Canada

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Forest inventory

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5

10

15

20

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Regenerating Young Immature Mature Overmature

Are

a (

Ha

.)

x 1

00000

Forest Development Stage

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35-year old softwood plantation

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35-year old plantation

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LiDAR inventory - Pilot

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The Forestry Chronicle 2011, 87 (04): 512–528

LiDAR metrics Metric Description

MEAN Mean height (m)

STD_DEV Standard Deviation

ABS_DEV Absolute Standard Deviation

SKEW Skewness

KURTOSIS Kurtosis

MIN Minimum height (m)

P01 First percentile LiDAR Height (m)

P05 Fifth percentile LiDAR Height (m)

P25 Twenty-fifth percentile LiDAR Height (m)

P75 Seventy-fifth percentile LiDAR Height (m)

P95 Ninety-fifth percentile LiDAR Height (m)

P99 Ninety-ninth percentile LiDAR Height (m)

P10 First Decile LiDAR Height (m)

P20 Second Decile LiDAR Height (m)

P80 Eighth Decile LiDAR Height (m)

P90 Ninth Decile LiDAR Height (m)

MAX Maximum height (m)

D1 Cumulative percentage of the number of returns found in Bin 1 of 10

D2 Cumulative percentage of the number of returns found in Bin 2 of 10

D8 Cumulative percentage of the number of returns found in Bin 8 of 10

D9 Cumulative percentage of the number of returns found in Bin 9 of 10

DA First returns/ All Returns

DV First Vegetation Returns/All Returns

DB First and only return / All Returns

VDR Vertical Distribution Ratio = [Max−Median]/Max

Canopy_relief_ratio (Mean - Min) / (Max – Min) – Using All Returns

Covar Std Dev (all Returns)/ mean ((All Returns)

CanCovar Std Dev (First Returns Only)/ mean ((First Returns Only) [represents the canopy layer]

FIRST Number of First Returns

ALLRETURNS Number of all Returns

FIRSTVEG Number of First Vegetation Returns only

ALLGROUND Number of Ground Returns

cc2 Crown closure ≥ 2 m

Cc4 Crown closure ≥ 4 m

cc24 Crown closure ≥ 24 m

cc26 Crown closure ≥ 26 m

STRAT1 Percentage of Total Return Count Below 0m

STRAT2 Percentage of Total Return Count Between 0m and 2m

STRAT14 Percentage of Total Return Count Between 24m and 26m

STRAT15 Percentage of Total Return Count Above 26m

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Softwood basal area Basal area

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Forest inventory attributes

Metrics

Inventory Metric Maximum Tolerance Level (RMSE @ 95% confidence)

Average merchantable tree height (m) 1 meter

Average tree height (merchantable and non-merchantable) (m) 1 meter

Base of Live Crown 1 meter

Total basal area (m2/ha) 5m2/ha

Merchantable basal area (m2/ha) 5 m2/ha

Merchantable quadratic mean diameter (QMD) (cm) 4 cm

Total quadratic mean diameter (QMD) (cm) 4 cm

Merchantable tree density (stems/ha) 100 stems/ha

Total gross total volume (m3/ha) 15 m3/ha

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Company Profile

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Ground sampling

• 2km grid established

• LiDAR extracted at each

point, metrics derived

• PCA used to identify

subset of points that will

cover range of conditions

• Considers conditions

already sampled in other

areas

• Results in efficient

sampling

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Plot design

• Plot centre located using

survey grade GPS units

• 400m2 fixed area circular

plot

• Trees ≥ 3.1cm sampled

• Regen (<3cm) sampled

in 3m radius sub-plot

• 3m BAF angle gauge

used to select trees for

height measurements

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Model development/calibration

Run 1 Run 2 Run 3 Run 4 Run 5 Run 6 Run 7 Run 8 Run 9 Run 10 P95 P95 cc12 P95 P95 cc12 cc12 cc12 P95 P95 cc12 cc12 P95 cc12 cc18 P95 P99 P95 cc12 STRAT8 STRAT7 P80 cc18 P99 cc12 P99 cc18 STRAT7 P99 cc12 P80 STRAT7 P99 cc18 P99 P80 P95 P99 P80 cc18 P99 P99 STRAT7 P80 STRAT8 STDDEV P90 P80 cc18 P99 STRAT8 cc18 STRAT4 STRAT7 STRAT7 STRAT7 P80 STRAT8 STRAT4 STRAT7 STRAT4 STRAT4 STRAT6 STRAT4 P80 cc18 STRAT8 STRAT4 STRAT6 P80 DA STRAT8 STDDEV DA STRAT4 STRAT8 STRAT4 cc18 AAD STRAT4 P90 STDDEV P90 STRAT8 STDDEV DA DA P90 P90 STDDEV cc16 DA STRAT5 STRAT6 STRAT5 STRAT4 STRAT7 STRAT6 DA P90 STDDEV P90 STRAT8 P90 DA STRAT6 STRAT5 DA STDDEV STRAT5 cc18 STRAT5 P80 STRAT5 P90 P90 STDDEV STRAT5 cc16 STRAT6 cc14 AAD cc16 STDDEV AAD cc14 DB STDDEV cc14 cc14 STRAT5 STRAT6 cc14 cc14 cc14 AAD P75 cc6 cc4 DB DB DB DA DB STRAT6 cc16 cc16 DB DB AAD STRAT6 cc16 AAD cc16 P75 STRAT5 cc14 AAD P70 DA cc4 cc14 P75 cc4 cc10 DB STRAT6 cc16 cc6 cc16 AAD P75 DB AAD cc16 cc6 AAD cc14 STRAT5 P75

P75 cc6 cc6 P75 cc6 cc4 cc10 P75 CANCOVAR

CANCOVAR

P70 cc10 cc10 P70 cc2 cc10 cc6 cc4 cc8 cc6

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Height

Model development/calibration

Run 1 Run 2 Run 3 Run 4 Run 5 Run 6 Run 7 Run 8 Run 9 Run 10 STRAT3 STRAT3 SKEW STRAT3 SKEW STRAT3 CANCOVAR STRAT7 SKEW STRAT7 SKEW SKEW STRAT5 SKEW STRAT3 SKEW SKEW SKEW cc4 STRAT3 STRAT5 CANCOVAR STRAT7 STRAT5 STRAT7 cc4 STRAT3 CANCOVAR STRAT3 SKEW

STRAT7 STRAT7 STRAT3 STRAT2 CANCOVAR CANCOVAR cc4 STRAT3 STRAT7 CANCOVAR

CANCOVAR STRAT5 P50 cc4 STRAT5 STRAT7 P50 cc4 CANCOVAR P30 cc4 P50 VDR cc2 P50 STRAT5 STRAT7 STRAT2 P50 STRAT5 P50 P50 CANCOVAR STRAT7 STRAT2 P80 STRAT5 STRAT5 STRAT5 cc4 VDR P25 STRAT2 P50 cc4 P50 P05 Can_rel_rat P60 P10 Can_rel_rat cc8 cc2 VDR VDR P25 DA P50 Can_rel_rat P50 STRAT2 COVAR P60 P60 COVAR VDR VDR VDR VDR P05 P10 P99 cc4 CANCOVAR cc2 P60 Can_rel_rat P99 cc14 P60 cc14 cc4 P25 P25 Can_rel_rat STRAT2 STRAT2 P10 P10 cc14 cc6 cc2 cc8 P80 P10 cc8 P70 P30 P25 STRAT2 P60 cc20 Can_rel_rat cc8 cc6 STRAT4 P75 P25 P80 cc8 P05 cc6 P90 P30 cc8 COVAR cc6 cc20 cc6 cc6 COVAR P10 P30 P10 DB P30 cc2 DB cc8 DA P25 Can_rel_rat P75 cc6 P99 cc6 P80 STRAT12 DB DB cc8 cc14 P70 COVAR P70 cc14 P20 P60 DA P99 P30 P05 cc6 cc20 KURT Can_rel_rat P60 cc8 STRAT12 cc20 P70 P30 COVAR STDDEV P95 STRAT12 STRAT12 P20 P70 cc2

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Volume

bS plantation – 35 years old

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bS plantation – 35 years old

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bS plantation – 35 years old

Metric Points Mean Std. Dev CV Error % Error

BA 1,218 25.9 6.3 24.4% 1.15 4.4

BAmerch 1,218 22.9 6.2 27.2% 1.28 5.6

BLC 1,218 4.7 0.9 18.7% 0.88 18.7

GTV 1,218 125.7 36.1 28.7% 1.35 1.1

HtAve 1,218 9.3 1.2 12.8% 0.60 6.5

Htmerch 1,218 11.5 1.1 9.9% 0.47 4.1

QMD 1,218 13.0 1.3 10.2% 0.48 3.7

QMDmerch 1,218 15.3 1.2 7.7% 0.37 2.4

TPHmerch 1,218 1,253.3 388.4 31.0% 1.46 0.1

Metric Points Mean Std. Dev CV Error % Error

BA 435 19.3 6.4 33.3% 2.63 13.6

BAmerch 435 16.1 6.7 41.5% 3.28 20.3

BLC 435 3.5 1.0 28.3% 2.24 64.9

GTV 435 84.6 32.1 37.9% 2.99 3.5

HtAve 435 8.1 1.2 15.5% 1.22 15.1

Htmerch 435 10.3 1.3 12.3% 0.97 9.5

QMD 435 11.7 1.6 13.4% 1.06 9.0

QMDmerch 435 14.7 1.4 9.6% 0.76 5.2

TPHmerch 435 991.8 429.3 43.3% 3.42 0.3

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Stand splitting

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Stand splitting

Metric Points Mean Std. Dev CV Error % Error

BA 1,218 25.9 6.3 24.4% 1.15 4.4

BAmerch 1,218 22.9 6.2 27.2% 1.28 5.6

BLC 1,218 4.7 0.9 18.7% 0.88 18.7

GTV 1,218 125.7 36.1 28.7% 1.35 1.1

HtAve 1,218 9.3 1.2 12.8% 0.60 6.5

Htmerch 1,218 11.5 1.1 9.9% 0.47 4.1

QMD 1,218 13.0 1.3 10.2% 0.48 3.7

QMDmerch 1,218 15.3 1.2 7.7% 0.37 2.4

TPHmerch 1,218 1,253.3 388.4 31.0% 1.46 0.1

Metric Points Mean Std. Dev CV Error % Error

BA 336 24.0 8.9 36.9% 3.32 13.8

BAmerch 336 20.6 8.5 41.2% 3.71 18.0

BLC 336 4.3 1.3 29.7% 2.67 62.6

GTV 336 114.3 48.8 42.6% 3.84 3.4

HtAve 336 8.7 1.6 18.2% 1.64 18.9

Htmerch 336 10.9 1.7 15.6% 1.41 12.9

QMD 336 12.2 1.7 13.7% 1.23 10.1

QMDmerch 336 14.9 1.6 10.9% 0.98 6.6

TPHmerch 336 1,219.4 543.3 44.6% 4.01 0.3

Metric Points Mean Std. Dev CV Error % Error

BA 882 26.6 4.8 18.1% 1.01 3.8

BAmerch 882 23.7 4.8 20.3% 1.13 4.8

BLC 882 4.9 0.6 12.2% 0.68 13.8

GTV 882 130.0 28.7 22.1% 1.22 0.9

HtAve 882 9.5 0.9 9.3% 0.52 5.4

Htmerch 882 11.7 0.7 6.1% 0.34 2.9

QMD 882 13.3 1.0 7.5% 0.42 3.1

QMDmerch 882 15.4 0.9 6.0% 0.33 2.2

TPHmerch 882 1,266.2 309.2 24.4% 1.35 0.1

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Operational queries

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Operational queries

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Additional metrics

Inventory Metric Maximum Tolerance Level (RMSE @ 95% confidence)

Average merchantable tree height (m) 1 meter

Average tree height (merchantable and non-merchantable) (m) 1 meter

Base of Live Crown 1 meter

Total basal area (m2/ha) 5m2/ha

Merchantable basal area (m2/ha) 5 m2/ha

Merchantable quadratic mean diameter (QMD) (cm) 4 cm

Total quadratic mean diameter (QMD) (cm) 4 cm

Merchantable tree density (stems/ha) 100 stems/ha

Total gross total volume (m3/ha) 15 m3/ha

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𝑁𝑀𝑉 = 𝑓(𝑇𝑂𝑉, 𝐵𝐴𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑐ℎ, 𝐵𝐴𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 , 𝑄𝑀𝐷,𝐻𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡)

Additional metrics

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Net merchantable volume

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Sawlog volume

RMSE=13.7m3/ha

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Sawlog volume incl. Stand type

RMSE=11.6m3/ha

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Density by DBH class

Density 0-9cm RMSE=76.2 Density 10-16cm RMSE=58.72

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Density by DBH class

Density 20-30cm RMSE= 36.0 Density 30-40cm RMSE=12.3

The plan

• New Brunswick inventory follows a 10-year cycle

• Currently acquiring block 2/10

• LiDAR has fundamentally changed forest inventory in NB

• Applications are still being discovered

• Investment will pay off, possibility to accelerate acquisition

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