Quantifying land use effects on forested riparian buffer vegetation structure using LiDAR data
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Date
2015
Authors
Wasser, Leah
Chasmer, Laura
Day, Rick
Taylor, Alan
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Abstract
Quantifying variability of forested riparian buffer (FRB) vegetation structure with variation in
adjacent land use supports an understanding of how anthropogenic disturbance influences the ability of
riparian systems to perform ecosystem services. However, quantifying FRB structure over large regions is a
challenge and requires efficient data collection and processing methods that integrate conventional in situ
vegetation sampling with remote sensing data. This study uses automated algorithms to process airborne
light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data for mapping of riparian vegetation height, canopy cover and
corridor width along 5,900 transects using methods validated in 80 mensuration plots in central
Pennsylvania, USA. The key objective of this study was to use airborne LiDAR data to quantify differences
in edge vs interior vegetation structure as influenced by buffer width and adjacent land use type,
continuously throughout a watershed. Riparian vegetation height, canopy cover and buffer width were
estimated along FRB transects adjacent to developed (residential/commercial and agricultural) and
undeveloped (grassland) land use types and compared to reference transects within larger forested areas
and thus without an edge. On average, buffers adjacent to developed land use types were narrower than
those adjacent to natural, undeveloped land use types. Approximately 50% of streams in the watershed
had FRB corridors 30 m wide. Only 23% of streams had a corridor width 200 m, the width
recommended to support key ecosystem services. Undeveloped land use types contained taller riparian
vegetation and wider corridors, whereas developed land use types contained shorter riparian vegetation
and narrow FRB corridors. Edge effects also affected vegetation structure. Vegetation height was 5–8 m
shorter at the interface between the FRB and the adjacent land use (the matrix) than in the naturally
occurring stream edge or in the corridor interior. Canopy cover was not influenced by adjacent land use
type or width. This study demonstrates that airborne LiDAR data can be used to accurately map riparian
buffer vegetation width, height and canopy cover to support ecological based management of riparian
corridors over wide areas.
Description
Open access article. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0) applies
Keywords
Airborne laser scanning , Canopy conditions , Disturbance , Edge effects , Forest inventory , LiDAR , Remote sensing , Riparian forests , Vegetation structure , Wide area mapping
Citation
Wasser, L., Chasmer, L., Day, R., & Taylor, A. (2015). Quantifying land use effects on forested riparian buffer vegetation structure using LiDAR data. Ecosphere, 6(1): 10. https://doi.org/10.1890/ES14-00204.1