Estimation of diameter distributions by means of airborne laser scanner data

Diameter distributions are an important source of information for estimating the timber assortment in forest stands. In this paper, a one-step procedure for deriving the parameters of a Weibull function, itself used to describe diameter distributions, is presented. A generalized linear model (GLM) is employed that allows for an estimation of the shape and scale parameters as functions of different predictors. The GLM was fit using 495 sample plots from a conventional sample-plot inventory. Plotwise height metrics derived from airborne laser scanner data serve as covariates (auxiliary variables). Each sample plot consists of four concentric circle plots, where the largest plot covers an area of 450 m2 (12 m radius). Trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH)