A recent study published in Methods in Ecology and Evolution presents a new terrestrial laser scanning-based method for accurately estimating tree above-ground biomass and its allocation among stems, branches, and leaves without destructive harvesting.

Led by Prof. SU Yanjun from the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the study provides an efficient non-destructive solution for precise tree biomass quantification, offering new opportunities for forest carbon monitoring and ecological studies of rare and endangered tree species.

Accurate estimation of tree biomass is essential for understanding forest ecosystem carbon dynamics and evaluating carbon sequestration capacity. Conventional methods mainly rely on destructive harvesting or allometric equations. While destructive measurements are highly accurate, they are labor-intensive and unsuitable for repeated observations. Allometric approaches, on the other hand, often lack the precision needed to resolve biomass allocation among different tree components.

In this study, the researchers integrated wood-leaf separation, voxel-based foliage estimation, and detailed three-dimensional reconstruction into a unified terrestrial laser scanning workflow, enabling fine-scale estimation of individual tree above-ground biomass and its component allocation while overcoming the limitations of conventional methods. Validation against destructive measurements showed that the workflow significantly outperformed conventional allometric models in estimating total above-ground biomass and maintained robust performance even at fine branch scales, including for very small branches.

The technique has already been successfully applied to rare and endangered tree species such as Cathaya argyrophylla, providing a non-destructive and high-precision tool for monitoring individual plant growth, supporting conservation and population recovery studies, and advancing long-term forest ecosystem and carbon-cycle research.

Workflow and accuracy of terrestrial laser scanning-based non-destructive estimation of tree above-ground biomass and its components (Image by DONG Qi)