Lidar remote sensing of forest resources at the scale of management

Small-footprint imaging lidar systems now dominate much of forest remote sensing research and development and are being gradually integrated into operational inventory and monitoring at the scale of management. This Highlight article assesses developments in both sensors and algorithms. Specific areas addressed include the choice of analysis unit (grid cell, segment, or individual tree), canopy height model versus point-based analyses, the role of multiple returns and return intensity, and a comparison of common algorithms. Results from recent three-dimensional lidar visualizations are included.