Characterization and Classification of Vegetation Canopy Structure and Distribution within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park using LiDAR Jitendra Kumar1, Jon Weiner2, William W. Hargrove3, Steven Norman3, Forrest M. Hoffman1, Doug Newcomb4 1Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 2University of California Berkeley, 3USDA Forest Service, 4U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service US – International Association of Landscape Ecology, Asheville, NC, USA April 06, 2016 Introduction ◮ Forests form a complex mosaic of diverse tree and coexisting plant and animal species. ◮ The structure of vegetation reveals information about stand age and height; forest composition, health, and disturbance; and suitability as habitat for birds and other animal species. ◮ Airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) enables large scale remote sensing of topography, built infrastructure, and vegetation structure. ◮ Multiple laser “returns” produce “point clouds” used to map the ground surface, buildings, roads, and utility infrastructure, and to reconstruct the structure of vegetation canopies. ◮ Large data volumes pose significant computational challenges to employing LiDAR to monitor and manage forests and animal habitats. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) ◮ The GSMNP is the most visited national park in the U.S., and it hosts a rich ecosystem of plants and wildlife. ◮ The Park encompasses 816 sq. miles in Tennessee and North Carolina and ranges in elevation from 876 to 6,643 feet above mean sea level. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 T E To Knoxville To Knoxville To Newport To Newport N N E SEVIERVILLE S 321 S E E 40 411 R 32 I V 441 E R r T 411 r Stream Crossings re e CHEROKEE NATIONAL FOREST r y Exit L T m a itt ) A le in m w r 443 a a k e Nearly all park trails cross small streams—making very wet crossings t 1.0 C t P r n n i i t a 129 g u w n P during flooding. The following trails that cross streams with no bridges e o 0.3 n i o M u r s d n ve e o se can be difficult and dangerous at flood stage. (Asterisks ** indicate the Ri ab o G M cl 0.4 r ( McGhee-Tyson L most difficult and potentially dangerous.) This list is not all-inclusive. e s ittl 441 ll Airport e w i n o Cosby h o 0.3 L ot e Beard Cane Trail near campsite #3 Fo Pig R R ive iv r Beech Gap Trail on Straight Fork Road er Cold Spring Gap Trail at Hazel Creek 0.2 W Eagle Creek Trail** 15 crossings e 0.3 0.4 SNOWBIRD s e Tr t Ridg L Fork Ridge Trail crossing of Deep Creek at junction with Deep Creek Trail en 0.4 o P 416 D w IN r e o k Forney Creek Trail** seven crossingsA G TENNESSEE T n Wa E a N g n BB IN Gunter Fork Trail** five crossingsU S MOUNTA p Exit 451 O 0.1 32 Hannah Mountain Trail** justM before Abrams Falls Trail L i NORTH CAROLINA tt Jonas Creek Trail near Forney Creek le Little River Trail near campsite #30 PIGEON FORGE C 7.4 Long Hungry Ridge Trail both sides of campsite #92 Pig o 35 Davenport eo s MOUNTAIN n b mere y r MARYVILLE Lost Cove Trail near Lakeshore Trail junction Cam Trail Gap Waterville nt 9 R Pittman u C 1. Meigs Creek Trail 18 crossings k i o h EE v Big Creek W e M 1.0 e B O e Mt LH e Center 73 Mount s I Noland Creek Trail** both sides of campsite #62 r r 321 Hen Wallow Falls t 2.1 H C r Cammerer 6 n C Cammerer C r e u 321 1.2 e Panther Creek Trail at Middle Prong Trail junction 0. t e w Trail Br Tr k o L Pole Road Creek Trail near Deep Creek Trail M 6.6 2.3 321 a 34 321 il Rabbit Creek Trail at the Abrams Falls Trailhead d G ra Gatlinburg Welcome Center 5.8 d ab T National Service Park U.S. Department of the Interior 1 e Roundtop Trail** crossing of Little River at Little River Road r s Mountain e Tr Cosby o g id 4.6 2.5 National Park Information Center n Trillium Gap Trail at Grotto Falls (icy in winter) e R v 2.1 il en Low k o e ra D G e C N T Tra Upper Hazel Creek Trail hiker-only portion I L B e a Low Gap ek il r A it s a p re C T tl er Albright Grove ld k C Wet Bottom Trail follow signs for Elijah Oliver Trail as alternate route N e tl a T 5.1 g U 73 P t 33 T n r i i e a B B O g Albright Grove r 29 S i 2.5 Walland M e S 0.7 l ig a o d Loop Trail 2.4 B m x 129 321 n l o te GATLINBURG R O 2.3 t 6. r i 6.1 t 1 v Inadu Knob 37 o C e Cosby r Greenbrier IER PINNA B E r NBR CL e 411 E E Camel Gap t V RE Knob e Gatlinburg Bypass Road u O 441 G k C 36 n l Roaring 3.7 4.1 T a E r Wear Valley V a F Cam W i el G l O one-way ork ap 1.0 To Chattanooga C Sugarlands M Greenbrier Trail Ramsey Tra o 6 s il t Cove e Cascades S ( o 7. d w y R c a 4.0 38 a r c A l R 32 y s r a w E Visitor Center o M mse a T 1.8 k L i a C Mount Guyot l N R W s i r it Little d dd k lo Mount t Park Headquarters e g le 4.1 r a le C a Pro o w h d e ng F Sterling P Greenbrier t l 4.0 Ster 321 e u d rai r t ling Mount Sterling Gap r ar T te F M T Trail 8. T o Baskins in r ey n o r e p r L 4 w k a alsam Mt Gu k l Historic r B n o R T Luftee i 1.9 i e Creek G 1.0 rail Tr n C i Nature n e a 9 il w Knob i a v C ra l WATERVILLE o n T O Trail r g s Little 2. ve Mountai C T 1.4 e 0. Trail T l 4 r i r r n LAKE l e c a i r Brier h B L e t Gatlinburg a i Tricorner Knob l u h 1.4 a k e l 4. e i Gap Tr u s rd y n r a t W Trail 2. 9 a r r T R ) Mount Chapman K T k o 7.5 e O r d 7 c TUCKA l a Pretty Hollow Gap 3.6 LEECHEE COVE P l Porters B T o R l Little Greenbrier r d Brushy M 40 F o i F o Grotto l P A r ra alls 1.9 i Flat e P a k u T n o g n T School S Mountain d e dtop 3.1 r N g Falls a L i r i e R l a e u 4.5 r r S 3.9 e r T t 5.3 C i w L g t l e A i t Metcalf t a illiu 2.9 0.4 1.7 r m n r f T y t r i M l s n o l i Laurel Falls l an s Tra 0.6 G a g 73 Bottoms Tr e d a t o 0 u 0.4 0. n Townsend p n t H Ace l n i n P R u Cr Mount Sequoyah 9 l 1. 3.5 Be r o i a o e i The Sinks d d g i e e Gap a a l o Fighting n alls T T Bru M k p l t Townsend R F s a l r e 6.0 ra hy p r Balsam e b 2.7 S o M Little Riv il c il e 5.6 C Creek o o a h a A w e u w i T t a N Visitors Center e 3.1 l n B l High Top Moun 4.0 r I 3.3 r i r i r h i r Gap a u a T g a c A IN 3. y Tr R i T A s l l T G c i l o e 5 v Laurel Top n 1 N A M Rainbow a e G C e He 3.6 o T 2.0 a Balsam e 4. l U l r p G r p 1 i a t d Laurel Gap N e a a Falls 6.0 h a O 3 4.3 n Elkmont G Mount Le Conte a t p e Point c 2. r U R l p T T M T ai g k 2.0 M o a Tr Rid e Li r Campfires Prohibited r I p T ttle Huskey Gap 31 o PISGAH a C O T C To r T a l r R r y 0.5 k r T i r e i i a a l O a e T H t v 2.2 l i r e 5.9 M a b t Great Smoky Mountains National Park North Carolina/Tennessee l e u i e r R T a k n l 20 r i t 2.4 l U e l s m o i h C NATIONAL C e s n Ch u a ra e Pecks Corner N 2 e R a 4.2 L 19 4.1 u d T 39 le Palmer C 4.1 1.