Pacific Northwest Research Station

Title: A guide to LIDAR data acquisition and processing for the forests of the Pacific Northwest.

Author: Gatziolis, Demetrios; Andersen, Hans-Erik.

Date: 2008

Source: Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-768. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 32 p

Station ID: GTR-PNW-768

Description: Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) is an emerging remote-sensing technology with promising potential to assist in mapping, monitoring, and assessment of forest resources. Continuous technological advancement and substantial reductions in data acquisition cost have enabled acquisition of laser data over entire states and regions. These developments have triggered an explosion of interest in LIDAR technology. Despite a growing body of peer-reviewed literature documenting the merits of LIDAR for forest assessment, management, and planning, there seems to be little information describing in detail the acquisition, quality assessment, and processing of laser data for forestry applications. This report addresses this information deficit by providing a foundational knowledge base containing answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Keywords: LIDAR, Pacific Northwest, FIA, forest inventory, laser, absolute and relative accuracy, precision, registration, stand penetration, DEM, canopy surface, resolution, data storage, data quality assessment, topography, scanning.

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Citation

Gatziolis, Demetrios; Andersen, Hans-Erik.  2008.  A guide to LIDAR data acquisition and processing for the forests of the Pacific Northwest. .   Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-768. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 32 p.