International Archives of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, and Spatial Information Sciences, Oct 3, 2004
ABSTRACT An airborne scanning LiDAR (light detection and ranging) survey using a small footprint ... more ABSTRACT An airborne scanning LiDAR (light detection and ranging) survey using a small footprint discrete pulse return Airborne Laser Terrain Mapper (ALTM) was conducted over the Utikuma Boreal wetland area ofnorthern Alberta in August 2002. These data were analysed to quantify systematic LiDAR errors in: a) ground surface elevation; and b) vegetation canopy,surface height. Of the vegetation classes, aquatic vegetation was associated with the largest error in LiDAR ground surface definition (+0.15 m, σ= 0.22), likely a result of saturated ground conditions. The largest absoluteerrors in LiDAR canopy surface height were associated withtall vegetation classes. However, the largest relative errors were associated with low shrub (63%) and aquatic vegetation (54%) classes. The openness and orientation of vegetation foliage was thought to enhance laser pulsecanopy,surface penetration in these two classes. Raster canopy,height models (CHMs) systematically underestimated,field validation heights by between 3% (aspens and black spruce) and 64% (aquatic vegetation). It is recommended,that robust LiDAR canopy surface height correction methods be investigated that are universally applicable tovegetation classes of all species and heights.
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