Determination of Tree Parameters (Tree Height and Crown Width) with UAV Data

Abstract

Parallel to the improvements in the accuracy level of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) supported remote sensing data, their use in forestry studies has become widespread. In recent years, stand parameters can be calculated using UAV-based three-dimensional (3D) point cloud data. In this study, it was aimed to determine tree parameters (tree height and crown width) using UAV data in the stone pine (Pinus pinea, L.) stand within the Bursa Technical University (BTU) Mimar Sinan Campus. Tree height and crown width parameters were obtained using the 3D point cloud method on UAV images taken from the study area. In order to evaluate the success of the UAV-based method, tree height and crown width data were obtained in the study area using classical ground measurement devices. In the study, the relationships between stand parameters determined by ground measurements and UAV data were examined by statistical analysis. In addition, the stand parameters obtained with both methods were compared with the Mean Squared Error (MSE) and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) methods to evaluate the effectiveness of the UAV-based method. The error values for tree height, MSE and RMSE, were determined as 0.057 and 0.427, respectively. The error values for crown width were found as 0.239 and 0.653, respectively. When the tree height and crown width parameters were compared with each other, it was seen that tree height was determined with higher accuracy.

Keywords

• Stand parameters
• tree height
• crown width
• UAV

İHA Verileri ile Ağaç Parametrelerinin (Ağaç Boyu ve Tepe Tacı Genişliği) Belirlenmesi

Öz

İnsansız Hava Araçları (İHA) destekli uzaktan algılama verilerinin doğruluk düzeyindeki iyileşmelere paralel olarak ormancılık çalışmalarındaki kullanımı yaygınlaşmıştır. Son yıllarda İHA tabanlı üç boyutlu (3B) nokta bulutu verileri kullanılarak tek ağaç parametreleri hesaplanabilmektedir. Bu çalışmada, Bursa Teknik Üniversitesi (BTÜ) Mimar Sinan Kampüsü’ndeki fıstık çamı (Pinus pinea, L.) alanında, İHA verileri kullanılarak ağaç parametrelerinin (ağaç boyu ve tepe tacı genişliği) belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Örnek sahadan alınan İHA görüntüleri üzerinde 3B nokta bulutu yöntemi kullanılarak ağaç boyu ve tepe tacı genişliği parametreleri elde edilmiştir. İHA tabanlı yöntemin başarısını değerlendirmek için klasik yersel ölçüm cihazları kullanılarak çalışma alanındaki ağaçların boy ve tepe tacı genişliği verileri elde edilmiştir. Çalışmada, yersel ölçümlerle ve İHA verileri ile belirlenen ağaç parametreleri arasındaki ilişkiler istatistiksel analizlerle incelenmiştir. Ayrıca, her iki yöntemle elde edilen ağaç parametreleri Ortalama Kare Hatası (Mean Squared Error-MSE) ve Kök Ortalama Kare Hatası (Root Mean Squared Error-RMSE) yöntemleri ile karşılaştırılarak İHA tabanlı yöntemin etkinliği değerlendirilmiştir. Ağaç boyu için hata değerleri, MSE ve RMSE, sırasıyla 0,057 ve 0,427 olarak belirlenmiştir. Tepe tacı genişliği için ise hata değerleri sırasıyla 0,239 ve 0,653 bulunmuştur. Ağaç boyu ve tepe tacı genişliği parametreleri kendi arasında karşılaştırıldığında ağaç boyunun daha yüksek doğrulukla belirlendiği görülmüştür.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Meşcere parametreleri
• ağaç boyu
• tepe tacı genişliği
• İHA

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