Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to quantify spatial gap patterns in forests. Getzin, S., Nuske, R. S., & Wiegand, K. Remote Sensing, 6(8):6988–7004, 2014. ![Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to quantify spatial gap patterns in forests [pdf]](https://bibbase.org/img/filetypes/pdf.svg "pdf")
Pdf doi abstract bibtex Gap distributions in forests reflect the spatial impact of man-made tree harvesting or naturally-induced patterns of tree death being caused by windthrow, inter-tree competition, disease or senescence. Gap sizes can vary from large (\textgreater100 m2) to small $\$r$\$n(\textless10 m2), and they may have contrasting spatial patterns, such as being aggregated or regularly distributed. However, very small gaps cannot easily be recorded with conventional aerial or satellite images, which calls for new and cost-effective methodologies of forest monitoring. Here, we used an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and very high-resolution images to record the gaps in 10 temperate managed and unmanaged forests in two regions of Germany. All gaps were extracted for 1-ha study plots and subsequently analyzed with spatially-explicit statistics, such as the conventional $\$r$\$npair correlation function (PCF), the polygon-based PCF and the mark correlation function. Gap-size frequency was dominated by small gaps of an area \textless5 m2, which were particularly frequent in unmanaged forests. We found that gap distances showed a variety of patterns. However, the polygon-based PCF was a better descriptor of patterns than the conventional PCF, because it showed randomness or aggregation for cases when the conventional PCF showed small-scale regularity; albeit, the latter was only a mathematical artifact. The mark correlation function revealed that gap areas were in half of the cases negatively correlated and in the other half independent. Negative size correlations may likely be the result of single-tree harvesting or of repeated gap formation, which both lead to nearby small gaps. Here, we emphasize the usefulness of UAV to record forest gaps of a very small size. These small gaps may originate from repeated gap-creating disturbances, and their spatial patterns should be monitored with spatially-explicit statistics at recurring intervals in order to further insights into forest dynamics.
@Article{Getzin2014,
author = {Getzin, Stephan and Nuske, Robert S. and Wiegand, Kerstin},
title = {{Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to quantify spatial gap patterns in forests}},
journal = {Remote Sensing},
year = {2014},
volume = {6},
number = {8},
pages = {6988--7004},
issn = {20724292},
url_pdf = {http://uni-goettingen.de/de/document/download/0738eaf6721cfc69d07ef90c4041bb0f.pdf/GetzinEtAlRemoteSensing_(2014)_RemoteSens_UAV_to_Quantify_Spatial_Gap_Patterns.pdf},
abstract = {Gap distributions in forests reflect the spatial impact of man-made tree harvesting or naturally-induced patterns of tree death being caused by windthrow, inter-tree competition, disease or senescence. Gap sizes can vary from large ({\textgreater}100 m2) to small $\backslash$r$\backslash$n({\textless}10 m2), and they may have contrasting spatial patterns, such as being aggregated or regularly distributed. However, very small gaps cannot easily be recorded with conventional aerial or satellite images, which calls for new and cost-effective methodologies of forest monitoring. Here, we used an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and very high-resolution images to record the gaps in 10 temperate managed and unmanaged forests in two regions of Germany. All gaps were extracted for 1-ha study plots and subsequently analyzed with spatially-explicit statistics, such as the conventional $\backslash$r$\backslash$npair correlation function (PCF), the polygon-based PCF and the mark correlation function. Gap-size frequency was dominated by small gaps of an area {\textless}5 m2, which were particularly frequent in unmanaged forests. We found that gap distances showed a variety of patterns. However, the polygon-based PCF was a better descriptor of patterns than the conventional PCF, because it showed randomness or aggregation for cases when the conventional PCF showed small-scale regularity; albeit, the latter was only a mathematical artifact. The mark correlation function revealed that gap areas were in half of the cases negatively correlated and in the other half independent. Negative size correlations may likely be the result of single-tree harvesting or of repeated gap formation, which both lead to nearby small gaps. Here, we emphasize the usefulness of UAV to record forest gaps of a very small size. These small gaps may originate from repeated gap-creating disturbances, and their spatial patterns should be monitored with spatially-explicit statistics at recurring intervals in order to further insights into forest dynamics.},
comment = {public},
doi = {10.3390/rs6086988},
isbn = {2072-4292},
keywords = {Autonomous flying,Biodiversity,Canopy gaps,Drone,Polygon-based pair correlation function,RPV,Remotely piloted vehicles,UAS,UAV,Unmanned aircraft systems},
}
Downloads: 0
{"_id":"fsrf3qKeyQmEBv8CS","bibbaseid":"getzin-nuske-wiegand-usingunmannedaerialvehiclesuavtoquantifyspatialgappatternsinforests-2014","author_short":["Getzin, S.","Nuske, R. S.","Wiegand, K."],"bibdata":{"bibtype":"article","type":"article","author":[{"propositions":[],"lastnames":["Getzin"],"firstnames":["Stephan"],"suffixes":[]},{"propositions":[],"lastnames":["Nuske"],"firstnames":["Robert","S."],"suffixes":[]},{"propositions":[],"lastnames":["Wiegand"],"firstnames":["Kerstin"],"suffixes":[]}],"title":"Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to quantify spatial gap patterns in forests","journal":"Remote Sensing","year":"2014","volume":"6","number":"8","pages":"6988–7004","issn":"20724292","url_pdf":"http://uni-goettingen.de/de/document/download/0738eaf6721cfc69d07ef90c4041bb0f.pdf/GetzinEtAlRemoteSensing_(2014)_RemoteSens_UAV_to_Quantify_Spatial_Gap_Patterns.pdf","abstract":"Gap distributions in forests reflect the spatial impact of man-made tree harvesting or naturally-induced patterns of tree death being caused by windthrow, inter-tree competition, disease or senescence. Gap sizes can vary from large (\\textgreater100 m2) to small $\\$r$\\$n(\\textless10 m2), and they may have contrasting spatial patterns, such as being aggregated or regularly distributed. However, very small gaps cannot easily be recorded with conventional aerial or satellite images, which calls for new and cost-effective methodologies of forest monitoring. Here, we used an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and very high-resolution images to record the gaps in 10 temperate managed and unmanaged forests in two regions of Germany. All gaps were extracted for 1-ha study plots and subsequently analyzed with spatially-explicit statistics, such as the conventional $\\$r$\\$npair correlation function (PCF), the polygon-based PCF and the mark correlation function. Gap-size frequency was dominated by small gaps of an area \\textless5 m2, which were particularly frequent in unmanaged forests. We found that gap distances showed a variety of patterns. However, the polygon-based PCF was a better descriptor of patterns than the conventional PCF, because it showed randomness or aggregation for cases when the conventional PCF showed small-scale regularity; albeit, the latter was only a mathematical artifact. The mark correlation function revealed that gap areas were in half of the cases negatively correlated and in the other half independent. Negative size correlations may likely be the result of single-tree harvesting or of repeated gap formation, which both lead to nearby small gaps. Here, we emphasize the usefulness of UAV to record forest gaps of a very small size. These small gaps may originate from repeated gap-creating disturbances, and their spatial patterns should be monitored with spatially-explicit statistics at recurring intervals in order to further insights into forest dynamics.","comment":"public","doi":"10.3390/rs6086988","isbn":"2072-4292","keywords":"Autonomous flying,Biodiversity,Canopy gaps,Drone,Polygon-based pair correlation function,RPV,Remotely piloted vehicles,UAS,UAV,Unmanned aircraft systems","bibtex":"@Article{Getzin2014,\r\n author = {Getzin, Stephan and Nuske, Robert S. and Wiegand, Kerstin},\r\n title = {{Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to quantify spatial gap patterns in forests}},\r\n journal = {Remote Sensing},\r\n year = {2014},\r\n volume = {6},\r\n number = {8},\r\n pages = {6988--7004},\r\n issn = {20724292},\r\n url_pdf = {http://uni-goettingen.de/de/document/download/0738eaf6721cfc69d07ef90c4041bb0f.pdf/GetzinEtAlRemoteSensing_(2014)_RemoteSens_UAV_to_Quantify_Spatial_Gap_Patterns.pdf},\r\n abstract = {Gap distributions in forests reflect the spatial impact of man-made tree harvesting or naturally-induced patterns of tree death being caused by windthrow, inter-tree competition, disease or senescence. Gap sizes can vary from large ({\\textgreater}100 m2) to small $\\backslash$r$\\backslash$n({\\textless}10 m2), and they may have contrasting spatial patterns, such as being aggregated or regularly distributed. However, very small gaps cannot easily be recorded with conventional aerial or satellite images, which calls for new and cost-effective methodologies of forest monitoring. Here, we used an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and very high-resolution images to record the gaps in 10 temperate managed and unmanaged forests in two regions of Germany. All gaps were extracted for 1-ha study plots and subsequently analyzed with spatially-explicit statistics, such as the conventional $\\backslash$r$\\backslash$npair correlation function (PCF), the polygon-based PCF and the mark correlation function. Gap-size frequency was dominated by small gaps of an area {\\textless}5 m2, which were particularly frequent in unmanaged forests. We found that gap distances showed a variety of patterns. However, the polygon-based PCF was a better descriptor of patterns than the conventional PCF, because it showed randomness or aggregation for cases when the conventional PCF showed small-scale regularity; albeit, the latter was only a mathematical artifact. The mark correlation function revealed that gap areas were in half of the cases negatively correlated and in the other half independent. Negative size correlations may likely be the result of single-tree harvesting or of repeated gap formation, which both lead to nearby small gaps. Here, we emphasize the usefulness of UAV to record forest gaps of a very small size. These small gaps may originate from repeated gap-creating disturbances, and their spatial patterns should be monitored with spatially-explicit statistics at recurring intervals in order to further insights into forest dynamics.},\r\n comment = {public},\r\n doi = {10.3390/rs6086988},\r\n isbn = {2072-4292},\r\n keywords = {Autonomous flying,Biodiversity,Canopy gaps,Drone,Polygon-based pair correlation function,RPV,Remotely piloted vehicles,UAS,UAV,Unmanned aircraft systems},\r\n}\r\n\r\n","author_short":["Getzin, S.","Nuske, R. S.","Wiegand, K."],"key":"Getzin2014","id":"Getzin2014","bibbaseid":"getzin-nuske-wiegand-usingunmannedaerialvehiclesuavtoquantifyspatialgappatternsinforests-2014","role":"author","urls":{" pdf":"http://uni-goettingen.de/de/document/download/0738eaf6721cfc69d07ef90c4041bb0f.pdf/GetzinEtAlRemoteSensing_(2014)_RemoteSens_UAV_to_Quantify_Spatial_Gap_Patterns.pdf"},"keyword":["Autonomous flying","Biodiversity","Canopy gaps","Drone","Polygon-based pair correlation function","RPV","Remotely piloted vehicles","UAS","UAV","Unmanned aircraft systems"],"metadata":{"authorlinks":{}}},"bibtype":"article","biburl":"http://uni-goettingen.de/de/document/download/90b40c40de0658874f406731815eae4a.bib/ecomod_publications.bib","dataSources":["AAg4wfMsPtnWptvEc","GRJ5z7bcbdBHoAJJt","W6GaPzngHiZMmBc5j","tEg2pjoSHaNSNeBg6"],"keywords":["autonomous flying","biodiversity","canopy gaps","drone","polygon-based pair correlation function","rpv","remotely piloted vehicles","uas","uav","unmanned aircraft systems"],"search_terms":["using","unmanned","aerial","vehicles","uav","quantify","spatial","gap","patterns","forests","getzin","nuske","wiegand"],"title":"Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to quantify spatial gap patterns in forests","year":2014}