Lidar-based approaches for estimating solar insolation in heavily forested streams
Methods to quantify solar insolation in riparian landscapes are needed due to the importance of stream temperature to aquatic biota. We have tested three lidar predictors using two approaches developed for other applications of estimating solar insolation from airborne lidar using field data collected in a heavily forested narrow stream in western Oregon, USA. We show that a raster methodology based on the light penetration index (LPI) and a synthetic hemispherical photograph approach both accurately predict solar insolation, explaining more than 73 % of the variability observed in pyranometers placed in the stream channel. We apply the LPI-based model to predict solar insolation for an entire riparian system and demonstrate that no field-based calibration is necessary to produce an unbiased prediction of solar insolation using airborne lidar alone.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2019 |
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Title | Lidar-based approaches for estimating solar insolation in heavily forested streams |
DOI | 10.5194/hess-23-2813-2019 |
Authors | Jeffrey J Richardson, Christian E. Torgersen, L Monika Moskal |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
Index ID | 70204159 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center |