Analysis of Tropical Forest Vertical and Spatial Structural Dynamics Using Large-footprint Lidar

In this paper we examine the ability of an airborne lidar, the Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS) to determine changes in the vertical structure of a tropical wet forest. LVIS, a large-footprint scanning lidar, collected data over La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica, in March of 1998 and March of 2005. The La Selva region contains significant landscapes of old-growth and secondary forests, as well as other vegetation and management types. The specific objective of this study is to analyze the changes in vertical canopy structure and dynamics in secondary forest sites as compared to old-growth forests utilizing waveforms and waveform-derived metrics. Nearly co-incident footprints between years were used to assess structural changes at various spatial scales ranging from individual footprints to landscape level. On average, secondary forests showed significant growth as a function of age/height at all spatial scales. In contrast, old-growth forests were characterized by largely stable lidar heights. At the local (footprint) scale, considerable variability in growth rates for secondary forests, as well as in growth-loss in old-growth areas was observed. The number of footprints with large growth-loss (> 5 m), presumably caused by tree mortality in the old-growth forests, was consistent with expected mortality rates over a 7 year period.