LiDAR News - LiDAR-based Tree-canopy Mapping for New York City

LiDAR News - LiDAR-based Tree-canopy Mapping for New York City LiDAR-based Tree-canopy Mapping for New York City Written by Sean McFadden    Wednesday, 13 April 2011 In previous articles, my colleague Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne has described the value of high-resolution LiDAR for tree-canopy mapping efforts in urban environments.  Shadows created by buildings can obscure trees in passive-sensor satellite or aerial imagery, making delineation and classification of these features very difficult.  This limitation is especially problematic when mapping “street trees”, so named because they are planted within or adjacent to transportation rights-of-way.  Many cities have begun tree-planting programs that focus on trees in publicly-owned rights-of-way, so it is imperative that street trees be included in any assessment of a municipality’s green infrastructure.