Modeling Merchantable Wood Volume Using Airborne LiDAR Metrics and Historical Forest Inventory Plots at a Provincial Scale

So far, large-scale projects aiming to map forest attributes using aerial LiDAR data have been developed ground sample plots acquired synchronously with LiDAR. No large independent of plot datasets. The goal this study was develop and validate parametric merchantable wood volume estimation models existing historical plots. can be applied datasets as a 10 × m raster. demonstrated that relative density index (RDI) based on self-thinning equation dominant height were suitable variables calculated both for resulting raster showed sound accuracy rates when compared validation zones: R², 82.25%; RMSE, 13.7 m3/ha; bias, −4.09 m3/ha. results show used calculate the RDI height. These consequently over area high level accuracy, thus not requiring implementation new costly