Using Terrestrial Laser Scanning and Empirical Allometries to Develop Biomass Error Estimates for Black Mangrove Trees

Abstract

Given the value of ecosystem services provided by mangrove forests, land managers and conservationists are increasingly interested in quantifying their structure and biomass at multiple scales. Because of the many challenges with traditional forest mensuration methods in these forests, scientists are increasingly exploring remote sensing-based approaches. Here we report on efforts to quantify mangrove aboveground volume and biomass in monospecific Avicennia germinans stands in Cedar Key, FL using high density terrestrial laser scanning (TLS). Following merging, cleaning, and segmentation of the TLS point clouds, quantitative structure models (QSM) were fit to estimate the volume and mass (volume multiplied by wood density (ρ)) of the main trunk and lower branches of 176 individual trees. By comparing QSM-based mass estimates to mass predicted from empirical allometric relationships, we show that TLS captures, on average, approximately 65% of the tree volume, and thus mass. We also show that the average proportion of tree biomass estimated by the fitted QSMs does not change as a function of tree size. Our work highlights the potential of TLS to aid scientists and land managers in their efforts to measure trees which can improve biomass estimation for blue carbon accounting. We also provide error estimates to aid similar research efforts and identify areas in need of methodological improvements for future work.

Citation

Price, Charles A.; Cummins, Karen; Papeș, Monica; Schroeder, Todd A. 2026. Using Terrestrial Laser Scanning and Empirical Allometries to Develop Biomass Error Estimates for Black Mangrove Trees. Wetlands. 46(7). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-026-02128-6.