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Publications

NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.

2023

To document

Abstract

Taper models, which describe the shape of tree stems, are central to estimating stem volume. Literature provides both taper- and volume models for the three main species in Norway, Norway spruce, Scots pine, and birch. These models, however, were mainly developed using approaches established over 50 years ago, and without consistency between taper and volume. We tested eleven equations for taper and six equations for bark thickness. The models were fitted and evaluated using a large dataset covering all forested regions in Norway. The selected models were converted into volume functions using numerical integration, providing both with- and without-bark volumes and compared to the volume functions in operational use. Taper models resulted in root mean squared error (RMSE) of 7.2, 7.9, and 9.0 mm for spruce, pine, and birch respectively. Bark thickness models resulted in RMSE of 2.5, 6.1, and 4.1 mm, for spruce, pine, and birch respectively. Validation of volume models with bark resulted in RMSE of 12.7%, 13.0%, and 19.7% for spruce, pine, and birch respectively. Additional variables, tree age, site index, elevation, and live crown proportion, were tested without resulting in any strong increase in predictive power.

See dataset

Abstract

The challenge of accurately segmenting individual trees from laser scanning data hinders the assessment of crucial tree parameters necessary for effective forest management, impacting many downstream applications. While dense laser scanning offers detailed 3D representations, automating the segmentation of trees and their structures from point clouds remains difficult. The lack of suitable benchmark datasets and reliance on small datasets have limited method development. The emergence of deep learning models exacerbates the need for standardized benchmarks. Addressing these gaps, the FOR-instance data represent a novel benchmarking dataset to enhance forest measurement using dense airborne laser scanning data, aiding researchers in advancing segmentation methods for forested 3D scenes. In this repository, users will find forest laser scanning point clouds from unamnned aerial vehicle (using Riegl sensors) that are manually segmented according to the individual trees (1130 trees) and semantic classes. The point clouds are subdivided into five data collections representing different forests in Norway, the Czech Republic, Austria, New Zealand, and Australia. These data are meant to be used either for developement of new methods (using the dev data) or for testing of exisitng methods (test data). The data splits are provided in the data_split_metadata.csv file. A full description of the FOR-instance data can be found at http://arxiv.org/abs/2309.01279

To document See dataset

Abstract

The FOR-instance dataset (available at this https URL) addresses the challenge of accurate individual tree segmentation from laser scanning data, crucial for understanding forest ecosystems and sustainable management. Despite the growing need for detailed tree data, automating segmentation and tracking scientific progress remains difficult. Existing methodologies often overfit small datasets and lack comparability, limiting their applicability. Amid the progress triggered by the emergence of deep learning methodologies, standardized benchmarking assumes paramount importance in these research domains. This data paper introduces a benchmarking dataset for dense airborne laser scanning data, aimed at advancing instance and semantic segmentation techniques and promoting progress in 3D forest scene segmentation. The FOR-instance dataset comprises five curated and ML-ready UAV-based laser scanning data collections from diverse global locations, representing various forest types. The laser scanning data were manually annotated into individual trees (instances) and different semantic classes (e.g. stem, woody branches, live branches, terrain, low vegetation). The dataset is divided into development and test subsets, enabling method advancement and evaluation, with specific guidelines for utilization. It supports instance and semantic segmentation, offering adaptability to deep learning frameworks and diverse segmentation strategies, while the inclusion of diameter at breast height data expands its utility to the measurement of a classic tree variable. In conclusion, the FOR-instance dataset contributes to filling a gap in the 3D forest research, enhancing the development and benchmarking of segmentation algorithms for dense airborne laser scanning data.