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Utilizing the spatial information inherent in panchromatic very high spatial resolution (VHSR) imagery, we explored the use of tree crown metrics for identifying leading species over four study sites in the Yukon Territory, Canada. Image segmentation was used to delineate homogeneous forest stands, followed by a tree crown delineation algorithm that identified individual tree crowns within each stand. Leading species in the study area included white spruce, black spruce, lodgepole pine, and trembling aspen. Nonparametric multivariate statistical tests indicated that some tree crown metrics generalized at the stand level have significant utility for discriminating leading species. Based on this result, a classification...
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Mean stand height is an important parameter for forest volume and biomass estimation in support of monitoring and management activities. Information on mean stand height is typically obtained through the manual interpretation of aerial photography, often supplemented by the collection of field calibration data. In remote areas where forest management practices may not be spatially exhaustive or where it is difficult to acquire aerial photography, alternate approaches for estimating stand height are required. One approach is to use very high spatial resolution (VHSR) satellite imagery (pixels sided less than 1m) as a surrogate for air photos. In this research we demonstrate an approach for modelling mean stand height...
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