| Patent holder | Univ Yunnan |
| Country | China |
| Patent link | View patent |
| Category | Planning & Inventory › Remote sensing & mapping |
System for estimating diameter at breast height of forest in Yunnan province based on multi-source remote sensing data
Diameter at breast height (DBH) — the stem diameter measured at 1.3 m above ground — is one of the most fundamental dendrometric variables in forest inventory, used to estimate basal area, timber volume, and biomass. Traditionally, DBH is measured manually with diameter tapes or calipers during ground-based inventory plots, which is time-consuming and costly at scale. Remote sensing technologies now offer a range of methods to estimate DBH with varying degrees of accuracy and cost. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) using ground-mounted LiDAR instruments can directly measure stem cross-sections at breast height with very high accuracy (RMSE typically below 1 cm for open-canopy stands), making it effectively a digital substitute for the diameter tape in sample plot work. Airborne laser scanning (ALS) can estimate DBH indirectly by deriving tree height and crown metrics and applying allometric models, though errors increase as forest density and structural complexity rise. More recently, close-range photogrammetry using standard digital cameras or mobile devices running structure-from-motion (SfM) software has been shown to produce reliable DBH estimates in plantation settings. Emerging methods using mobile laser scanning (MLS) — mounting LiDAR on backpacks, vehicles, or UAS — allow rapid DBH measurement across entire coupes rather than discrete plots. In Australian softwood and hardwood plantations, DBH estimation via remote sensing supports continuous forest inventory (CFI) approaches and reduces the labour burden of large-scale mensuration programs. Research from Australian institutions including the University of Melbourne, Australian National University, and CSIRO has contributed to validating remote sensing DBH estimation methods across eucalypt forests and Pinus radiata plantations, with operational uptake progressing through FWPA-funded demonstration projects.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Company | Univ Yunnan |
| Country | China |
| Type | Patent |
| Year | 16/12/24 |
| Status | Pending |
| FWPA RD&E | 7.3 |
| Inventors | Zhou Huiyan, Zhang Zhiming, Liu Wenjun, Ma Yufeng, Chen Zhe, Chen Qifei |
| Patent No. | CN 119691403 A |