Mapping canopy height of radiata pine plantation in Tasmania, Australia, using softcopy photogrammetry

Digital photogrammetry provides an opportunity to automate the measurement of tree heights. A sufficiently dense canopy model with tree height data at nearly 100% sampling rates has the potential to improve significantly the reliability of strategic and operational forest inventory. This study investigates the utility of digital photogrammetric techniques to map tree height within radiata pine plantations. A digital photogrammetric workstation, the Leica Helava DPW 770, was used to generate digital canopy models (DCMIs) of both closed canopy and thinned stands. The performance of the workstation and several post-processing filters were assessed using scanned aerial photographs of different film types and scales, including colour, black and white