https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Index en-au 5 Using tree detection algorithms to predict stand sapwood area, basal area and stocking density in Eucalyptus regnans forest https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:26654 Den) of a 69-year-old Eucalyptus regnans forest comprising 251 plots with resolution of the order of 0.04 ha. Using the NCut method we predicted basal area (BAHa) per hectare and sapwood area (SAHa) per hectare, a well-established proxy for transpiration. Sapwood area was also indirectly estimated with allometric relationships dependent on LiDAR derived SDen and BAHa using a computationally efficient procedure. The individual tree detection (ITD) rates for the LMF and NCut methods respectively had 72% and 68% of stems correctly identified, 25% and 20% of stems missed, and 2% and 12% of stems over-segmented. The significantly higher computational requirement of the NCut algorithm makes the LMF method more suitable for predicting SDen across large forested areas. Using NCut derived ITD segments, observed versus predicted stand BAHa had R² ranging from 0.70 to 0.98 across six catchments, whereas a generalised parsimonious model applied to all sites used the portion of hits greater than 37 m in height (PH₃₇) to explain 68% of BAHa. For extrapolating one ha resolution SAHa estimates across large forested catchments, we found that directly relating SAHa to NCut derived LiDAR indices (R² = 0.56) was slightly more accurate but computationally more demanding than indirect estimates of SAHa using allometric relationships consisting of BAHa (R² = 0.50) or a sapwood perimeter index, defined as (BAHaSDen)½ (R² = 0.48).]]> Wed 11 Apr 2018 16:13:53 AEST ]]> Sediment transport in forested head water catchments - calibration and validation of a soil erosion and landscape evolution model https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:30535 Tue 03 Dec 2019 16:20:14 AEDT ]]> Seeing the climate through the trees: observing climate and forestry impacts on streamflow using a 60-year record https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:27140 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:33:00 AEDT ]]> A new method for measuring stand sapwood area in forests https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:24569 1.3). Tree taper data were coupled with stump dimensions data in a mixed-effects model to predict each stump's BA at 1.3 m, and sapwood taper data from buttress logs were used to improve each stems ̂R1.3. Using this procedure, we found our study site to have an ̂R1.3 of 0.21 and total stand SA at 1.3 m height of 9.3 m² ha⁻¹. We quantified the bias in traditional ̂R1.3 estimates that use cores to measure sapwood thickness and diameter tape to calculate SA. We show traditional methods underestimate inline image that increases with tree diameter and decreases with stem circularity, whereas our methodology gave more accurate measures of SA in large buttressing trees. Our methodology also provides a more efficient way of generating maps of SA variation across large forested catchments.]]> Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:11:30 AEDT ]]> Estimating tree and stand sapwood area in spatially heterogeneous southeastern Australian forests https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:24993 1.3) in a large number of trees to understand the spatial heterogeneity of tree and stand sapwood area within and between forest communities, and develop allometric relationships that predict SA1.3 with forest inventory data. We also apply tree competition models to determine the degree to which the relationship between SA1.3 and tree basal area at 1.3 m height (BA1.3) is influenced by competition. Methods: We visited 25 recently harvested southeastern Australian forest sites consisting of 1379 trees and 5 Eucalyptus species to evaluate a new efficient data collection method for estimating SA1.3 with tree taper and stump dimensions data using mixed effects models. The locations of 784 stumps within one 5-ha site were accurately mapped using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and four distance-dependent tree competition models were applied across the site to explain within-stand variation in the ratio of SA1.3 to BA1.3. Data from 24 additional sites, consisting of ten 15 m radial plots per site, were used to analyse within-site variation in RHa (the ratio of stand sapwood area SAHa to stand basal area BAHa). The radial plots were merged within each site to evaluate between-site variations in RHa across the landscape. For predicting SAHa with forest inventory data, we computed the relationship between SAHa and a new index of total stem perimeter per hectare, defined as √BAHaNT, where NT is tree stocking density. Important Findings: Our 1379 measured stems represent the most comprehensive measure of sapwood area, surpassing the 757 measured stems in native eucalypt forests published in literature. The species-specific RHa varied considerably across sites and therefore extrapolating SAHa with spatially distributed BAHa maps and a generalized RHa would introduce local uncertainty. We found that the species-specific stem perimeter index was more effective at capturing variability in SAHa across the landscape using forest composition, structure and density data (R²: 0.72–0.77). The strong correlation between tree SA1.3 and BA1.3 improved slightly using tree competition models (R² increased from 0.86 to 0.88). Relating SAHa to routinely measured forest inventory attributes within permanent plots and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data may provide opportunities to map forest water use in time and space across large areas disturbed by wildfire and logging.]]> Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:09:55 AEDT ]]>