Letter
Details
Citation
Marselis SM, Tang H, Armston J, Abernethy KA, Alonso A, Barbier N, Bissiengou P, Jeffery KJ, Kenfack D, Labri¨¨re N, Lee SK, Lewis SL, Memiaghe H, Poulsen JR, White L & Dubayah R (2019) Exploring the relation between remotely sensed vertical canopy structure and tree species diversity in Gabon. Environmental Research Letters, 14 (9), Art. No.: 094013. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab2dcd
Abstract
Mapping tree species diversity is increasingly important in the face of environmental change and biodiversity conservation. We explore a potential way of mapping this diversity by relating forest structure to tree species diversity in Gabon. First, we test the relation between canopy height, as a proxy for niche volume, and tree species diversity. Then, we test the relation between vertical canopy structure, as a proxy for vertical niche occupation, and tree species diversity. We use large footprint full-waveform airborne lidar data collected across four study sites in Gabon (Lop¨¦, Mabouni¨¦, Mondah, and Rabi) in combination with in situ estimates of species richness (S) and Shannon diversity (H¡ä). Linear models using canopy height explained 44% and 43% of the variation in S and H¡ä at the 0.25 ha resolution. Linear models using canopy height and the plant area volume density profile explained 71% of this variation. We demonstrate applications of these models by mapping S and H¡ä in Mondah using a simulated GEDI-TanDEM-X fusion height product, across the four sites using wall-to-wall airborne lidar data products, and across and between the study sites using ICESat lidar waveforms. The modeling results are encouraging in the context of developing pan-tropical structure diversity models applicable to data from current and upcoming spaceborne remote sensing missions.
Keywords
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment; Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health; General Environmental Science; biodiversity; radar; lidar; LVIS; ICESat; GEDI; TanDEM-X
Journal
Environmental Research Letters: Volume 14, Issue 9
Status | Published |
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Funders | National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
Publication date | 09/09/2019 |
Publication date online | 28/06/2019 |
Date accepted by journal | 28/06/2019 |
URL | |
Publisher | IOP Publishing |
eISSN | 1748-9326 |
People (2)
Professor, Biological and Environmental Sciences
Associate Professor, Biological and Environmental Sciences