National mapping and estimation of forest area by dominant tree species using Sentinel-2 data
Nation-wide Sentinel-2 mosaics were used with National Forest Inventory (NFI) data for modelling and subsequent mapping of spruce, pine and deciduous forest in Norway in 16 m × 16 m resolution. The accuracies of the best model ranged between 74 of 90 stands. Errors mostly resulting from a forest mask reduced the model accuracies by approximately 10 estimates increased by 20 90 however, constrained the use of PS. For estimates of sub-populations (municipalities), efficiencies improved by up to a factor of 8. However, even for municipalities with a decent number of NFI plots, direct NFI estimates were sometimes more precise than MA estimates. PS estimates were always more precise than direct and MA estimates but were applicable in fewer municipalities. The tree species prediction map is freely available as part of the Norwegian forest resource map and is used, among others, to improve maps of other variables of interest such as timber volume and biomass.
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