Forest Roads Mapped Using LiDAR in Steep Forested Terrain

Remote Sensing

Russell A. White³  Brian C. Dietterick¹  Thomas Mastin² 

[1]Swanton Pacific Ranch, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA

[2]BioResource and Agricultural Engineering Department, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA

[3] E-Mails:

[4]Natural Resources Management Department, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA

[5] E-Mail:

关键词: LiDAR applications;    forest roads;    GIS;   

DOI  :  10.3390/rs2041120

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

LiDAR-derived digital elevation models can reveal road networks located beneath dense forest canopy. This study tests the accuracy of forest road characteristics mapped using LiDAR in the Santa Cruz Mountains, CA. The position, gradient, and total length of a forest haul road were accurately extracted using a 1 m DEM. In comparison to a field-surveyed centerline, the LiDAR-derived road exhibited a positional accuracy of 1.5 m, road grade measurements within 0.53% mean absolute difference, and total road length within 0.2% of the field-surveyed length. Airborne LiDAR can provide thorough and accurate road inventory data to support forest management and watershed assessment activities.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2010 by the authors; licensee Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Basel, Switzerland.