Tree inventory in urban areas using smartphone

Abstract

In recent years, specialized software for smartphones has been developed to collect biometric indicators of trees, including the use of built-in LiDAR sensors. Mobile applications for the inventory of trees and forest stands are still at the initial stage of their development; therefore, it is necessary to compare the data obtained with their use with the measurement data obtained using traditional methods. For Russia, the technology for determining tree and stand indicators and mapping trees using a smartphone remains untested. Therefore, the aim of the study was to study the possibility of using a smartphone (Arboreal Forest application) to determine tree indicators and map trees using the example of old-growth alley plantings. The study was carried out in old-growth alley plantings of small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata Mill.) on the territory of the former Zootechnical College, located in the Ekimtsevo village, Kologrivsky District, Kostroma Region. Data collection was conducted in July 2023 using 1) the traditional method and 2) the Arboreal Forest application. The accuracy of the results obtained corresponds to the requirements for inventory indicated in the forest inventory instructions. For the object of study, it was revealed that the deviation of the quadratic mean diameter calculated according to the Arboreal Forest data (47.3 cm) from the measurement data with a caliper (48.8 cm) was -3.1% (-1.5 cm), and basal areas -6.18 % or -3.28 m2. Also, compared to the traditional method, Arboreal Forest tends to underestimate trunk diameters (especially for large trees) and, as a result, basal areas. The structure of the tree distribution series by Arboreal Forest tree diameter distribution is generally close to the distribution series obtained by the traditional method. In the future, applications for smartphones can become an effective alternative to traditional methods of tree and stand inventory.