Estimation of wood volume and height of olive tree plantations using airborne discrete-return LiDAR data

The aim of this study is to analyze methodologies based on airborne LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology of low pulse density points (0.5 m−2) for height and volume quantification of olive trees in Viver (Spain). A total of 29 circular plots, each with a radius of 20 m, were sampled and their volumes and heights were obtained by dendrometric methods. For these estimations, several statistics derived from LiDAR data were calculated in each plot. Regression models were used to predict volume and height. The results showed good performance for estimating volume (R2 = 0.70) and total height (R2 = 0.67).