Terrestrial Laser Scanning for Estimating the Volume and Biomass of Coniferous Stems in the Mariposa Monarca Biosphere Reserve, Mexico

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) emerges as a powerful, non-destructive tool for accurately estimating tree volume and biomass, offering a significant advancement over traditional methods that are labor-intensive and often destructive. A study in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR), Mexico, demonstrated that TLS-derived stem volume estimates (Vol_TLS) closely matched those from predictive models based on destructive sampling, with no significant differences found. The relationship between Vol_TLS and a model-based volume (Vol_TModel) showed an exceptionally strong fit (R² = 0.97, RMSE = 0.351 m³), outperforming another model comparison (R² = 0.93, RMSE = 0.537 m³). This validation highlights TLS as a reliable alternative for forest biomass assessment, particularly in ecologically sensitive areas like the MBBR, where conservation is paramount.

Hernández-Moreno, J. A., Velázquez-Martínez, A., Pérez-Salicrup, D. R., Bravo, F., MacFarlane, D. W., & Reyes-Hernández, V. J. (2025). Terrestrial Laser Scanning for Estimating the Volume and Biomass of Coniferous Stems in the Mariposa Monarca Biosphere Reserve, Mexico. Forests, 16(2), 334. https://doi.org/10.3390/f16020334