Forestry – Lidar: Stand Basal Area (sq ft/ac)

This data is a Lidar-derived estimate of the stand basal area in square feet per acre. 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. It represents stand basal area in square feet per acre for all trees of five inches or larger diameter at breast height. The field sample data were collected over 120 plots of one-tenth acre size, and the plot-level basal area was calculated by summing up the basal areas of individual trees at breast height level. The Lidar point cloud-based metrics were also computed for each of the plots, and a relationship (linear regression model) was developed between the field measured basal area and the Lidar variables. The model 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.