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Monitoring within-season dynamics in the light environment of a broadleaved forest stand using ground-based LIDAR datasets

Book Contribution - Book Chapter Conference Contribution

In this case study, the changing light/vegetation interaction in a homogeneous oak (Quercus robur) stand was studied at different moments during the growth season using ground-based LiDAR datasets and ray tracing technology. Three field campaigns were organized at regular time intervals (24-04-2008; 07-05-2008; 23-05-2008) to capture the increase of foliage material. The LiDAR data was used to generate a 3D representation of the measured canopies which enabled structure feature extraction and light interception modeling using the Voxel-Based Light Interception Model (VLIM). The VLIM is capable of approximating the relative light intensity at any arbitrary point in the modeled crown space by simulating virtual rays of light in the 3D scene and registering the interaction of those beams with the vegetative elements represented as voxels. Per light simulation, 40.000 voxels (i.e. leaves) in the measurement plots were randomly sampled for light interception. This resulted in a detailed description of the light environments and their dynamics inside the canopy. A comparison between average vertical light extinction profiles showed the potential of the VLIM to study photon/vegetation interactions in a multi-temporal set-up.
Book: MULTITEMP2009
Pages: 94 - 100
ISBN:9781618391940
Publication year:2009