Forest Biomass Estimates from Lidar and Field Plots in Maine

604 permanent Forest Inventory and Analysis plots in the Penobscot Experimental Forest, Maine, provide the ground truth for these 2012 aboveground biomass estimates. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center modeled the biomass using LiDAR data from the G-LiHT airborne imager and a novel approach to correct for temporal misalignment between field and remote sensing data. This dataset represents a specific fusion of intensive field inventory and advanced remote sensing for ecological research.

Use Cases

• Validating regional-scale biomass models against high-resolution, plot-level LiDAR estimates.
• Analyzing the relationship between forest structure from LiDAR metrics and measured aboveground biomass.
• Studying carbon sequestration potential in a managed experimental forest ecosystem.
• Developing methods to harmonize temporally misaligned field and remote sensing data for change detection.

Strengths

• Based on 604 permanent Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots, providing a substantial ground-truth foundation.
• Uses a novel modeling approach explicitly designed to correct for temporal misalignment between field and LiDAR data collection.
• Data originates from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, indicating a high standard of remote sensing expertise.

Limitations

• The exact column names, row count, and dataset size are not provided on any platform, limiting technical assessment.
• Platforms conflict on the last updated date: Data.gov lists 2026-03-13, while NASA Earthdata lists 2012-12 31.
• The specific license terms under 'other-license-specified' are not detailed, requiring further investigation for use.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center.

Collection Method

Aboveground biomass was modeled by fusing LiDAR data from the G-LiHT airborne imager with field inventory data from 604 permanent FIA plots.

Time Range

2012

Freshness

2026-03 13 04:12:46.199967

Geography

Penobscot Experimental Forest (PEF) in Bradley, Maine, USA.