MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT VIETNAM FORESTRY UNIVERSITY *** STUDENT THESIS RESEARCH SELECTION METHOD TO DETERMINE CANOPY COVERAGE IN LUOT MOUNTAIN, XUAN MAI, CHUONG MY, HA NOI Major: Natural Resources Management Code: D850101 Faculty: Forest Resources and Environmental Management Student: Hoang Thu Yen Student ID: 1253090040 Class: K57 Natural Resources Management Course: 2012 - 2016 Advanced Education Program Developed in collaboration with Colorado State University, USA Supervisor: Dr. Le Xuan Truong Hanoi, Oct 2016 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study has been supported by VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF FORESTRY. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor Dr. Le Xuan Truong for the continuous support of my student thesis study and research, for his motivation, enthusiasm, and immense knowledge.
He was always able to answer any questions that I had. If I didn‟t understand something the first time, he would explain it to me again so I would understand it. With his guidance helped me in all the time of research and writing of this thesis. I wish to thank professor from Colorado State University, Prof.
A special man that I was very impressed during the study here. He always smiling, patience, and providing my class with an excellent atmosphere for my our lesson as well as for my research. And for my friend, I would like to many thank Mr. Tran Thanh Quang, he very nice and so kind.
He helped me a lot during assisting in the field work, it's very difficult work to collect data. And most of all, thanks to my university, help me get these favorable conditions and suitable environment to complete my research. 2 ABSTRACT Estimation of forest canopy cover has recently been included in many forest inventory programmes. In this study, after discussing how canopy cover is defined, different ground- based canopy cover estimation techniques are compared to determine which would be the most feasible for a large scale forest inventory.
to quantify canopy cover and the estimates they provide vary greatly. In this here, to collect the data we use three main method for estimating canopy cover ratio (Differences in cover estimates among the ground-based methods were not related to stand-structure type p = 0. As expected, estimates of cover increased and stand-level variability decreased with increasing angle of view among techniques. The results indicate that different techniques yield considerably different canopy cover estimates and through result of compare we can choose a suitable method and most accurate for measuring forest cover.
3 TABLE OF CONTENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABSTRACT TABLE OF CONTENT LIST OF TABLES LIST OF FIGURES CHAPTER 1. STUDY GOAL, OBJECTIVES, SCOPE OF THE STUDY AND METHODOLOGY. STUDY GOAL, OBJECTIVES. SCOPE OF THE STUDY.
Geographical location, Topography in Luot mountain. Plot location, Maps. CONTENTS AND METHODOLOGY. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION.
SURVEY RESULT AND DISCUSSION OF PLANTATIONS IN LUOT MOUNTAIN, XUAN MAI, CHUONG MY, HA NOI. Diameter and Height Frequency distributions. Comparison of tree growth between sample plot 1, plot 2 and plot 3. THE RESULT AND DISCUSSION COMPARISON OF THREE METHODS TO DETERMINE CANOPY COVERAGE IN LUOT MOUNTAIN, XUAN MAI, CHUONG MY, HA NOI.
The result and discussion comparison of three methods. Compare, selectection and explain why choose method to determine canopy coverage in Luot Mountain, Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Ha Noi. GENERAL CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION. 34 REFERENCES 5 LIST OF TABLES Table 3.
List of the coordinates of three sample plot by GPS Table 4. List of the results of the plot data collection of three sample plot in Luot mountain, Xuan Mai, Chuong My,Ha Noi Table 4. List of the results of the Canopy Coverage and standard error of three methods in Luot mountain, Xuan Mai, Chuong My,Ha Noi 6 LIST OF FIGURES Picture 3.1: 1st Intersection in Luot mountain, Vietnam national university of forestry Figure 3.5: Map of three sample plot location in Luot mountain, Xuan Mai, Chuong My,Ha Noi Figure 3.1: Plot establishment Figure 3.2: Profile diagram pattern Picture 3.3: Sequence of steps during field image analysis.1: Vertical and Cross profile in sample plot 1 Picture 4.2: Vertical and Cross profile in sample plot 2 Picture 4.3: Vertical and Cross profile in sample plot 3 Appendix A: Table Appendix B: Figure 7 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Have you ever thought about of how forests have affected your life today: Have you had your breakfast? Read a newspaper? Switched on a light? Travelled to work in a bus or car? Signed a cheque? Made a shopping list? Got a parking ticket? Blown your nose into a tissue? Forest products are used in our daily lives and, all the activities listed above directly or indirectly involve forests. The importance of forests cannot be underestimated.
We depend on forests for our survival, from the air we breathe to the wood we use. Besides providing habitats for animals and livelihoods for humans, forests also offer watershed protection, prevent soil erosion and mitigate climate change. So, how do you know about the forest? First of all, we need to know the concept of forest. According to the international definition of a forest is based on canopy cover: the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has defined forest as land of at least 0.5 ha with potential canopy cover over 10% and potential tree height of at least five meters.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, forests covered an four billion hectares (16 million square miles) or approximately 30 percent of the world's land area in 2006. To control and protect the forest, firstly we must always understand data on forests that mean the canopy coverage of forest is large or small, to say that the current situation as well as the risk that forests are encountered. So, what is the canopy cover ratio? Canopy coverage, defined here as the proportion of the forest floor covered by the vertical projection of the tree crowns, should be distinguished from canopy closure, which is defined as the proportion of sky hemisphere obscured by vegetation when viewed from a single point. Estimation of forest canopy cover has recently become an important part of forest inventories.
Throughout history there have been very many methods from handmade to 1 modern to measuring canopy cover ratio, depending on the environment, climate or topography around to provide the best measurement method. For example handmade methods such as measuring 100 points, profile diagram or ocular estimation methods until modern methods such as estimates as used fisheye or satellite to determine canopy coverage. Each method has advantages and disadvantages different, such as ocular estimation methods of canopy cover, ocular estimates are always subjective, and the results can vary even with changing weather. Objectivity can be increased in the process by dividing the plot into smaller sections and counting the average of estimates made for each section.
Especially especially depends very much on the observer or the external factors (wind, clouds or the height of the observer .) or a method for high accuracy but high cost such as using Fisheye to determine canopy coverage. This method is modern, but this tools is hard to find because very expensive so its very few in Vietnam. Moreover, its very big, cumbersome to bring on forest to determine. In this my research, I would like to introduce three methods to determine canopy coverage including handmade method and morden method, which is using GLAMA (Gap light analysis mobile app), 100 point, profile diagram methods.
The first method is a using 100 points to determine canopy coverage. Based on the sample plots have been established earlier, we will measure exactly 100 points is divided equally on this sample plot. Total points measured we will have the results of the canopy coverage and based on criteria about canopy cover ratio, we will assess the extent of closed canopy (or vice versa is the level of broken forest canopy). Through that we can be used as a basis to make decisions when choosing silvicultural practices.
This methods is handmade, relatively safe, with high accuracy, but waste time and effort to complete measurement process. A simple method is applied extensively to determine and indicate second floor of forest is Cross sectional profile of David and Richards (1952). This is also handmade method and quite simple, based on trees data collection was gathered, we observe and simulation on grid paper, from which we get the canopy coverage. 2 The last method that I want to mention that is using sofware GLAMA ( Gap light analysis mobile app) on cell phone.
The first method was conducted measurement on a cellphone used android OS. A program for calculation of the Canopy Cover Index estimating canopy cover from hemispherical photographs. The program, which is freely accessible from the Google Play website, can be used for hemispherical, wideangle and standard photographs (with known lens angle of view). The program was primarily designed for use in the field, but can also analyse hemispherical photographs saved onexternal storage.
The Canopy Cover Index is a quick and robust method for precise canopy cover estimation comparable to visual canopy cover estimation but unaffected by observer bias. Not only can it be used on already- captured photographs, but the index can also be employed on smartphones by using the GAP LIGHT ANALYSIS MOBILE APP (glama) Android application to rapidly capture hemispherical photographs and immediately calculate their index values directly in the field. In this paper, i will determine canopy coverage in Luot mountain, Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Hanoi. In this study area, i will establish 3 sample plot and measure all three methods on each sample plot.
From 3 as a result of that approach, I will compare the data on the implementation process as well as to introduce to people from all their research will be to select the best method as well as handy to measure forest canopy cover. From the result of three method that i mention, i will compare the data collection as well as the implementation process measurement to select the best method as well as most convenient to determine canopy coverage. 3 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Forests cover about 30% of the earth‟s mainland, and the surfaces of forest canopies are the main gateways regulating the exchange of energy, carbon and water vapour between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere (FAO 2001; Law et al. 2001; Parker et al.
The structure of a forest canopy influences the quantity, quality and spatial and temporal distributions of light in the stand, which in turn affects the presence or absence of ground vegetation and influences temperature, relative humidity, and the physiological activity of tree organs (leaves, fruits, woody organs) and many other organisms within a forest (Jennings et al. 1999; Kobayashi and Iwabuchi 2008). Forest canopy plays an important part in forest stand dynamics and wildlife habitability (Reid 1964, Hendrick et al 1968, and Pase 1958), yet the determination of its condition is often confusing and misinterpreted, even among professionals. Sunlight reaching the forest floor is an important component of forest microhabitat.
There is a relationship between tree overstory and herbaceous production (Jameson 1968). These forest floor characteristics are important to wildlife and general forest biodiversity. To date, Vietnam has more than 13 million ha of forest, 10 million of which is natural forest and 3 million is plantation forest. Its forest cover amounts to 40.2% (2011), classified into three categories: production forest (6.3 million ha), protection forest (4.8 million ha) and special-use forest (almost 2 million ha); (Forest Trends Information Brief 2012).
The terms “canopy cover” and “canopy closure” are two common terms used to describe forest canopy conditions. Although these two terms are implying distinct characteristics of forest canopy, they are often used synonymously and incorrectly.