Terrestrial laser-scanning provides means for the analytical evaluation of plantation systems

This paper presents a theoretical concept for the mechanistic analysis of plantation systems in terms of physiological efficiency that comprises three steps: 1. The automated evaluation of terrestrial 3D-laser scanner data of apple trees, 2. Tree reconstruction based on allometric relationships between branch diameter and leaf area, and 3. A fine-scaled 3D-light- and photosynthesis model. The automated evaluation procedure for laser-scanner data based on the 3D-Hough transformation could correctly identify the point-to-point connections of the main branch system of apple trees. Based on 3D-structure measurements, the 3D-light model STANDFLUX-SECTORS predicted maximum leaf mass per area (LMA(max)) of branches with a root mean square error of 10.3 g/m(2). An application of the model to beech trees revealed parallel courses of modelled light climate and measured sapflow of branches.