Forestry – Lidar: Basal Area Weighted Height (ft)

This data is a Lidar-derived estimate of the basal area weighted tree height in feet. It was developed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources using Lidar data that was collected as part of the Minnesota 3DEP USGS Lidar program, along with Plot Based Inventory (PBI) data. The average height (also called Lorey's height or basal area weighted height) is obtained by multiplying the total height and basal area of individual sample trees, and then dividing the sum of the products by the total plot-level basal area. Basal area weighted heights were calculated for each of the 120 sample plots, and the Lidar-derived metrics for the plots were used as predictors to build a relationship (linear regression model) that was finally extended over the entire area of interest using selected Lidar predictors at 20 meter spatial resolution. This information can provide foresters a better understanding of the stand and how it should be managed.