Ontario Forest Inventory Leaf-On LiDAR Point Cloud

Ontario's managed forest zone is covered by airborne single photon LiDAR data captured under leaf-on conditions, with a minimum point density of 25 points per square meter. The Government of Ontario provides this data to support Forest Resources Inventory (FRI) development, including information on tree species, density, heights, and distribution. The dataset was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Generate a canopy height model (CHM) from classified point cloud data to estimate forest biomass.
• Classify vegetation height into low, medium, and tall categories (classes 3, 4, 5, 12) for habitat mapping.
• Create digital terrain models (DTM) and digital surface models (DSM) from ground and object height points for hydrological modeling.
• Predict forest inventory attributes like tree species and density using the derived raster metrics.
• Map hydro break lines and predicted streams from the intensity model and elevation data for watershed analysis.

Strengths

• Point cloud data has a minimum density of 25 points per square meter, providing detailed 3D information.
• Includes multiple derived products like digital terrain models, canopy height models, and forest inventory rasters.
• Data is classified according to the Ontario lidar classification scheme, enabling standardized analysis.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, total area coverage, and temporal range for data acquisition are not provided.
• Data is limited to Ontario's Managed Zone, which may not be representative of other forest ecosystems.
• The description does not specify the resolution or accuracy metrics for the derived raster models.

Provenance

Source

Government of Ontario

Collection Method

Acquired via airborne platform using single photon LiDAR (SPL) technology under leaf-on conditions.

Freshness

2026-03-18

Geography

Ontario's Managed Forest Zone, Canada.