%0 Research article
%T Appraisal of seedling stand vegetation with airborne imagery and discrete-return LiDAR – an exploratory analysis
%A Korpela, Ilkka
%A Tuomola, Tuukka
%A Tokola, Timo
%A Dahlin, Bo
%D 2008
%J Silva Fennica
%V 42
%N 5
%R doi:10.14214/sf.466
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/466
%X The potential for combined use of airborne discrete-return LiDAR and  digital imagery in the classification and measurement of common seedling  stand vegetation was examined in southern Finland (61°50’N, 24°20’E).  Classification was based on spectral and textural image features in  addition to geometric and radiometric features of the LiDAR. The  accuracy of leaf-on, LiDAR-based terrain elevation models was tested as  well as the accuracy of LiDAR in the measurement of vegetation heights.  LiDAR-based canopy height and the range-normalized intensity of the  LiDAR were strong explanatory variables in vegetation classification.  Interspecies variation was observed in the height measurement accuracy  of LiDAR for different tree, shrub and low vegetation canopies.  Elevation models derived with 1–15 pulses per m<sup>2</sup> showed an  inherent noise of app. 15–25 cm, which restricts the use of LiDAR in  regeneration assessment of very young stands. The spatial pattern of the  competing vegetation was reproduced in classification-based raster  surfaces, which could be useful in deriving meaningful treatment  proposals.