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Estimation of above ground Forest biomass and Carbon stock by Integrating LiDAR, satellite image and field measurement in Nepal

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Author Affiliations

  • 1Deparment of Soil Conservation and Watershed Management, Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, Kathmandu, NEPAL
  • 2Institute of Forestry, Pokhara NEPAL
  • 3Arbonaut, FINLAND
  • 4Arbonaut, FINLAND
  • 5Arbonaut, FINLAND
  • 6International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), NEPAL

Res. J. Agriculture & Forestry Sci., Volume 2, Issue (8), Pages 1-6, August,8 (2014)

Abstract

For the first time in South Asia, the model-based Lidar Assisted Multisource Program (LAMP) was tested in 23500 km2 Terai arc landscape (TAL) area of Nepal by integrating 5% airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sampling, wall-to-wall Rapid Eye satellite image and a representative field inventory to estimate above ground biomass (AGB) and carbon stock. The average 1.26/mLiDAR point density recorded by the scanner was used to measure canopy height and build a model using LiDAR variables and model coefficients. The developed LAMP model successfully estimated the AGB of the study area. The research tells that the study area comprises almost 50% forest cover with an average 211.63 t/ha AGB. Standing carbon stock was converted from AGB by multiplying the 0.47 which is default carbon fraction. Average standing carbon stock is 99.47 t/ha in the study area. The LAMP method found that the standing total AGB was 214.85-208.41 t/ha at a 95% confidence level and thefield-based Forest Resource Assessment (FRA) Nepal field-plot AGB estimate is 210.09/ha. This correspondence at this level of confidence means that the LAMP estimates are as accurate as those of the field-based inventory.

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