1. Exploring the relation between remotely sensed vertical canopy structure and tree species diversity in Gabon
- Author
-
Seung-Kuk Lee, S. Marselis, Nicolas Labrière, Nicolas Barbier, Katharine Abernethy, John Armston, Hervé Memiaghe, Hao Tang, Ralph Dubayah, David Kenfack, Pulchérie Bissiengou, Lee White, John R. Poulsen, Alfonso Alonso, Simon L. Lewis, Kathryn J. Jeffery, University of Maryland [College Park], University of Maryland System, University of Stirling, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Botanique et Modélisation de l'Architecture des Plantes et des Végétations (UMR AMAP), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud]), Centre national de la recherche scientifique et technologique (CENAREST), Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, BP 30 379 Libreville, Gabon, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, AgroParisTech, University of Leeds, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud]), CENAREST, Smithsonian Institution, and Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux [Gabon]
- Subjects
Canopy ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Environmental change ,Niche ,Biodiversity ,LVIS ,010501 environmental sciences ,[SDV.BID.SPT]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity/Systematics, Phylogenetics and taxonomy ,01 natural sciences ,law.invention ,[SDV.EE.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment/Ecosystems ,law ,Gabon ,Radar ,lidar ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,General Environmental Science ,biodiversity ,GEDI ,Lidar ,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment ,Linear model ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,15. Life on land ,[SDV.BV.BOT]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Vegetal Biology/Botanics ,Environmental science ,Species richness ,Physical geography ,TanDEM-X ,[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology ,ICESat ,radar - Abstract
Mapping tree species diversity is increasingly important in the face of environmental change and biodiversity conservation. We explore a potential way of mapping this diversity by relating forest structure to tree species diversity in Gabon. First, we test the relation between canopy height, as a proxy for niche volume, and tree species diversity. Then, we test the relation between vertical canopy structure, as a proxy for vertical niche occupation, and tree species diversity. We use large footprint full-waveform airborne lidar data collected across four study sites in Gabon (Lopé, Mabounié, Mondah, and Rabi) in combination with in situ estimates of species richness (S) and Shannon diversity (H′). Linear models using canopy height explained 44% and 43% of the variation in S and H′ at the 0.25 ha resolution. Linear models using canopy height and the plant area volume density profile explained 71% of this variation. We demonstrate applications of these models by mapping S and H′ in Mondah using a simulated GEDI-TanDEM-X fusion height product, across the four sites using wall-to-wall airborne lidar data products, and across and between the study sites using ICESat lidar waveforms. The modeling results are encouraging in the context of developing pan-tropical structure-diversity models applicable to data from current and upcoming spaceborne remote sensing missions.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF