Agricultural and Forest Meteorology最新文献

{"title":"Carbon partitioning as a drought-tolerance strategy in clonal eucalyptus under thermal and water stress","authors":"Fernanda Leite Cunha ,&nbsp;Otávio Camargo Campoe ,&nbsp;Cléber Rodrigo de Souza ,&nbsp;Isaira Leite & Lopes ,&nbsp;Clayton Alcarde Alvares ,&nbsp;Jose Luiz Stape","doi":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110719","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110719","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increase in the frequency, duration, and intensity of drought associated with climate change may alter the current productivity rates of planted forests and the risk of tree mortality associated with physiological stress. In this context, we aim to understand carbon allocation strategies in fast-growing (FG) and drought-tolerant (DT) clonal <em>Eucalyptus</em> plantations under different water and thermal stress. We used carbon balance data from two DT and three FG clones at four climatically contrasting sites, covering an area of 3185 km in Brazil. With the aid of a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM), we observed that under extreme conditions of water and thermal stress, the clones tended to reduce gross primary production (GPP) and the partitioning of aboveground carbon, in detriment in increase in root growth. FG clones showed more significant reductions in GPP and carbon fluxes compared to DT clones, which demonstrates that FG clones are more sensitive to climate change. Our work contributes to elucidating carbon allocation strategies for the main groups of clones planted in Brazil, producing reference values that can be used in sustainable management projects and ecophysiological modeling aimed at more productive plantations that are tolerant to climatic adversity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50839,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural and Forest Meteorology","volume":"373 ","pages":"Article 110719"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144678169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cross-regional validation of the PhenoFlex framework for flowering date prediction in apple: A study across Germany and Spain","authors":"Hajar Mojahid ,&nbsp;Lars Caspersen ,&nbsp;Alvaro Delgado ,&nbsp;Enrique Dapena ,&nbsp;Eike Luedeling ,&nbsp;Katja Schiffers ,&nbsp;Eduardo Fernandez","doi":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110746","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110746","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Modeling the dormancy period in temperate fruit trees is essential to assessing the impacts of climate change on tree phenology and spring frost events. Whereas cultivar-specific parametrization of phenology models may provide accurate predictions, it offers limited outlook at the species level. Using shared parameters for apple species alongside cultivar-specific parameters would improve phenology projections, provide insights into future risks, and inform strategies for adapting temperate orchards to climate change. In this study, we assessed the performance of PhenoFlex when used to estimate a common set of model parameters for apple trees from Germany and Spain. We used historical phenology and weather data for 5 German and 11 Spanish cultivars, testing two calibration approaches: location-specific (data grouped by country) and species-specific (combining data for all 16 cultivars), under two fitting procedures: a global optimization and an enhanced global optimization. Overall, species-specific calibration increased the PhenoFlex model accuracy, especially for the Spanish cultivars under the enhanced global optimization (RMSE of 4.6 vs. 5.4 days, respectively for ‘Clara’). On the other hand, location-specific calibration performed better for German cultivars. The enhanced global optimization reduced maximum errors from 12.0 to 7.5 days (‘Collaos’ in the species-specific fit), outperforming the global optimization procedure. Analysis of chill and heat response curves revealed variation across calibration approaches, with the species-specific calibration showing moderate responses. Our results highlight the trade-offs between generalizability and specificity in phenology modeling. Integrating multi-site data for the same cultivar could improve species-level parameter reliability and inform climate-resilient orchard management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50839,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural and Forest Meteorology","volume":"373 ","pages":"Article 110746"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144664518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Contribution of aboveground and belowground biomass of Robinia pseudoacacia trees to total plant carbon stocks in a young agroforestry system","authors":"Soline Martin-Blangy ,&nbsp;Christophe Jourdan ,&nbsp;Isabelle Bertrand ,&nbsp;Marion Forest ,&nbsp;Ezzeddine Abbessi ,&nbsp;Rémi Dugué ,&nbsp;Gabin Piton ,&nbsp;Jérôme Ngao","doi":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110749","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110749","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Allocation to aboveground and belowground compartments of tree biomass in Mediterranean agroforestry systems (AFS) is poorly documented, especially for young trees. This work aimed at (i) characterizing the effects of land use (Agroforestry, AF vs. Tree Plantation, TP) on 5-year-old black locust tree growth, tree biomass allocation, and tree C stocks at plot scale, and (ii) assessing the effect of land use on total carbon stocks (AF vs. TP vs. Crop Monoculture). Allometric equations were built for upscaling tree biomass at the plot scale. Biomass of understory vegetation and crops were estimated at the plot scale in the three land uses. Tree diameter was 19 % higher in the AF than in TP, likely due to different light microclimate, while tree height did not vary significantly between land uses. Tree biomass allocation to aboveground and belowground compartments (70 % and 30 % of total tree biomass, respectively) did not vary between land uses. Higher efficiency in building tree carbon stock was shown in agroforestry than in tree plantation per area unit. Trees accounted for 39 % and 66 % of total carbon stocks in biomass in AF and TP, respectively. Understory vegetation accounted for 8 % and 34 % of total carbon stocks in biomass in AF and TP, respectively. Land equivalent ratio values, which involved tree, crop and understory vegetation carbon stocks, did not yet indicate a synergetic effect on accumulation of plant carbon compared to sole crop or tree plantations. This study provides new reference values of carbon stocks in biomass in a young AFS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50839,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural and Forest Meteorology","volume":"373 ","pages":"Article 110749"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144663669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New allometric models for Eucalyptus tereticornis using terrestrial laser scanning show increased carbon storage in larger trees","authors":"Louise Terryn ,&nbsp;David Ellsworth ,&nbsp;Belinda E. Medlyn ,&nbsp;Matthias Boer ,&nbsp;Tom E. Verhelst ,&nbsp;Kim Calders","doi":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110708","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110708","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate aboveground woody biomass (AGB) estimates are crucial for assessing the impact of elevated CO<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span> (eCO<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>) on net carbon sequestration in trees. Estimating AGB essentially involves developing allometric models using destructively harvested data. Due to the costs and restrictions of harvesting, models from other regions are often used. In the past two decades, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) has become a widely accepted, non-destructive method for measuring tree structure. We provide new TLS-based allometric AGB models for <em>Eucalyptus tereticornis</em>, the dominant tree species at EucFACE, a replicated, ecosystem-scale mature forest free-air CO<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span> enrichment (FACE) experiment in Australia. Based on TLS-derived diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height (H), and crown area (CA) of 116 trees, we developed both an AGB:DBH model and an AGB:(CA<span><math><mo>×</mo></math></span>H) model. Our TLS-based AGB:DBH model (uncertainty = 19 %, bias &lt;−1 %), shows substantially larger AGB growth compared to the previously-used allometric model at EucFACE. Although this new model does not change previous conclusions about the impact of eCO<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span> on tree-level AGB increments at EucFACE, it does indicate a notable increase in AGB increment, particularly for larger trees. This highlights the need to recalculate net primary productivity and carbon partitioning at EucFACE. Additionally, we present a TLS-based AGB:(CA<span><math><mo>×</mo></math></span>H) model (uncertainty = 27 %, bias &lt;1 %). These models improve accuracy in assessing carbon storage at EucFACE and offer scalable methods for monitoring AGB in <em>E. tereticornis</em> across broader landscapes. By enabling reliable, landscape-level carbon estimates, this work supports targeted forest management and conservation strategies under rising CO<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span> conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50839,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural and Forest Meteorology","volume":"373 ","pages":"Article 110708"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144663668","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evidence of threat from short-timescale dry season drought on tree radial growth in China’s humid subtropical forest","authors":"Shaowei Jiang ,&nbsp;Ping Zhao ,&nbsp;Qianqian Ma ,&nbsp;Hanxue Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110744","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110744","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>China’s subtropical forest is subject to the risk of a warming-induced increase in drought and soil aridity, but it remains unclear how and to what extent tree radial growth in this forest will respond to the change. Herein we investigated a space-for-gradient research (across 10 latitudinal and 10 longitudinal gradients) with multiple methods to determine the timing and timescale of tree radial growth response to drought and to quantify the influence of the corresponding drought episode on radial growth by using resistance (Rt), recovery (Rc), and resilience (Rs) indices. We found that the timing and timescale of <em>Pinus massoniana</em>’s radial growth response to drought are June and 10 months, respectively, indicating high sensitivity to drought in the dry season. A nonlinear relationship was found between tree radial growth response (including Rt, Rc, and Rs) and water balance, with a predicted 34 % and 20 % loss of radial growth at water balances of −294.17 mm and 3536.96 mm, respectively. We also found that the optimum water balance for <em>P. massoniana</em>’s radial growth ranges from 235.43 mm to 1457.38 mm, and that the trees cannot fully recover from the predicted losses of radial growth at the observed lower or upper limits of the water balance. Our results suggest that there will be a threat to tree radial growth from short-timescale drought in the dry season or from an increasingly arid dry season in China’s humid subtropical forest due to a lack of resilience in radial growth response to drought.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50839,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural and Forest Meteorology","volume":"373 ","pages":"Article 110744"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144663666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dynamic methane emissions in a restored wetland: Decadal insights into uncertain climate outcomes and critical science needs","authors":"Kyle Delwiche ,&nbsp;Jaclyn Hatala Matthes ,&nbsp;Ariane Arias-Ortiz ,&nbsp;Sara H. Knox ,&nbsp;Patty Oikawa ,&nbsp;Cove Sturtevant ,&nbsp;Joseph Verfaillie ,&nbsp;Daphne Szutu ,&nbsp;Trevor F. Keenan ,&nbsp;Dennis Baldocchi","doi":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110735","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110735","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wetland restoration is increasingly viewed as a strategy for long-term carbon sequestration. However, methane (CH₄) emissions from restored wetlands can significantly offset their climate benefits. In this study, we analyzed one of the longest quasi-continuous methane eddy covariance datasets, spanning over a decade from the Mayberry wetland in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, CA. Methane emissions at Mayberry initially spiked post restoration but have since declined, and this interannual trend positively affects the natural climate change solution potential of the restoration project. Using random forest analysis we find that the decadal trend in decreasing emissions aligns with a decadal trend in vegetation infill. A recent uptick in methane emissions is aligned with a decrease in porewater conductivity, indicating that porewater chemistry may also play a dominant role in driving methane fluxes. The isotopic signal of methane accumulated in sediments were remarkably stable over the past decade, indicating minimal changes in carbon lability of the re-flooded peat. We find that on a diel scale, latent heat is by far the dominant predictor for methane emissions, highlighting the role of diurnal patterns in plant transpiration. On seasonal timescales changes in water table depth and surface water conductivity help explain methane emissions. Our results emphasize the unique value of eddy-covariance and ancillary measurements initiated at the start of restoration in elucidating long-term methane dynamics in restored wetlands. They also highlight the critical need for expanded environmental data, such as porewater chemistry and vegetation changes, to comprehensively capture the factors driving methane flux.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50839,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural and Forest Meteorology","volume":"373 ","pages":"Article 110735"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144652579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tropical forest transpiration estimates are geographically, ecologically and methodologically biased: a systematic review of sap flow research","authors":"Natalia de Aguiar-Campos,&nbsp;Will Edwards,&nbsp;Susan G.  W. Laurance","doi":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110738","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110738","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tropical forest transpiration is essential for the maintenance of the water and carbon cycles and regulation of the global climate. However, recent collective efforts to compile sap flow data, which is the most widely used method for quantifying transpiration in woody stems, have revealed a large data gap in the tropics. Furthermore, accurately upscaling point measurements of sap flow to whole-plant water use (PWU) requires data inputs and corrections that may be difficult to determine in highly diverse tropical forests. This systematic review has two main goals: to assess the methodological limitations of PWU research in tropical forests and to highlight geographical and ecological gaps among current tropical forest PWU research. Our Web of Science search used terms related to ‘plant water use’ and ‘tropical forest’ and gathered all peer-reviewed studies that used sap flow sensors and upscaled point measurements to PWU in tropical forests. Based on 72 studies conducted in 85 locations, we found that drier forest types (based on Holdridge life zones) are largely underrepresented in the literature, with more than 75% of the research output concentrated in wetter forest types. We also identified a substantial knowledge gap on liana sap flow, which appeared in less than 6% of the studies. Regarding the methodological limitations, most studies omitted information regarding the number of sensors deployed per plant and the method of zero-flow determination. Other shortcomings specific to each sap flow sensor type are highlighted. Our study underscores the need for standardising key methodological aspects and identifies significant geographical and ecological gaps in tropical forest PWU research. It provides a foundation for further studies to refine estimates of the present and future contributions of tropical forest transpiration to the global water cycle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50839,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural and Forest Meteorology","volume":"373 ","pages":"Article 110738"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144652370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The critical role of temperature in determining optimal planting schedule for cotton: A review","authors":"Menard Soni ,&nbsp;Aleksey Y. Sheshukov ,&nbsp;Jonathan Aguilar","doi":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110741","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110741","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Temperature plays a critical role in cotton planting decisions, affecting seed germination, plant growth, and overall yields. Warm conditions support vigorous growth, while cooler weather slows development, raises risks of chilling injury, and increases biotic stress. Excessively high temperatures impair emergence and reduce seedling vigor, making it essential to identify favorable temperature ranges that promote healthy plant stands. Soil temperature is linked to air temperature and directly impacts seed placement and early development by shaping the seed zone’s thermal environment. Climate variability adds complexity by inconsistent weather patterns. Identifying optimal planting windows can help producers avoid cold snaps while ensuring sufficient heat accumulation. This involves understanding temperature fluctuations, soil moisture availability, and local weather patterns. Temperature-based tools, like heat units, assist in identifying suitable conditions for key developmental stages. Although focused on cotton, many temperature-related principles apply to other major field crops that rely on adequate warmth for uniform germination and development. For this review, from a total of 1603 publications obtained from three databases using 38 queries, 220 articles from 31 countries were selected based on their relevance to the main topic and the outcome significance. This narrative review examines the critical role of air and soil temperatures in determining optimal planting dates for cotton, highlighting temporal and spatial temperature variations, and considering future climate impacts on planting decisions. It synthesizes findings and practical guidelines to aid growers, researchers, and extension professionals in refining planting schedules. It also aims to offer a comprehensive and up-to-date discussion of temperature management strategies that can lead to better stand establishment and stable cotton yields across different production environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50839,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural and Forest Meteorology","volume":"373 ","pages":"Article 110741"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144652580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"One-dimensional modeling of radiation absorption by vine canopies: evaluation of existing model assumptions, and development of an improved generalized model","authors":"María A. Ponce de León ,&nbsp;Joseph G. Alfieri ,&nbsp;John H. Prueger ,&nbsp;Lawrence Hipps ,&nbsp;William P. Kustas ,&nbsp;Nurit Agam ,&nbsp;Nicolas Bambach ,&nbsp;Andrew J. McElrone ,&nbsp;Kyle Knipper ,&nbsp;Matthew C. Roby ,&nbsp;Brian N. Bailey","doi":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110706","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110706","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Land surface models typically rely on simplified models to describe radiation absorption by the soil and plant canopies, which generally perform well in homogeneous canopies, but can face challenges when applied to heterogeneous canopies. In this work, simple models considering a constant clumping factor, a geometric-based variable clumping factor, and a new geometric binomial model were evaluated against field measurements in heterogeneous vine canopies, and using a sophisticated three-dimensional leaf-resolving radiation model, Helios, which allowed for accurate quantification of absorbed radiation and independent evaluation of individual model assumptions using carefully designed hypothetical test cases. We propose a novel binomial model that simultaneously accounts for the actual dimensions of a canopy with a rectangular prism shape (e.g. vineyards), shadow interactions, multiple beam intersections, scattering and the variable radiative path length through the vegetation. Explicit representation of the vine row structure in the model was critical for consistent model behavior, and failure to do so led to errors in canopy radiation absorption of up to 414% for the constant clumping factor model. The assumption of a spatially constant radiative beam path length through the vines, and neglecting multiple vine intersections along a single radiative beam path, had the potential to introduce significant errors in the geometric-based variable clumping factor model. Results illustrated that the binomial model correctly accounts for the variable path length through vegetation and multiple crown intersections, thus errors in whole-canopy radiation transmission were generally small for all cases (index of agreement in the range of 0.81–0.95 based on comparisons with experimental observations). With some additional inputs related to the vineyard design (planting density, row orientation, leaf area index, leaf angle distribution, canopy height, and canopy width), the binomial model could be incorporated within crop, terrestrial ecosystem, and land surface models, particularly those based on satellite remote sensing data.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50839,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural and Forest Meteorology","volume":"373 ","pages":"Article 110706"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144645600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using high penetration airborne LiDAR and dense UAV scanning to produce accurate 3D maps of light availability in dense tropical forest","authors":"Vincyane Badouard ,&nbsp;Philippe Verley ,&nbsp;Yuchen Bai ,&nbsp;Giacomo Sellan ,&nbsp;Léa Françoise ,&nbsp;Eric Marcon ,&nbsp;Géraldine Derroire ,&nbsp;Grégoire Vincent","doi":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110713","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110713","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>LiDAR makes it possible to describe the 3D structure of the forest, from which species habitats can be accurately estimated, over large areas at fine resolution. However, standard airborne laser scanning (ALS) fails to describe the lower canopy in sufficient detail due to occlusion by the upper canopy. The understory is important to characterise as it harbours the majority of the forest community and is the place where regeneration takes place. Here we explored the potential of low altitude high power ALS with enhanced penetration, and denser UAV LiDAR (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) to describe the structure of the understory. We used the recorded laser pulse extinction to build a 3D model of light transmission through the canopy. We evaluated the capacity of the light transmission model to estimate the spatial and angular variation of light in the tropical understory, considering different leaf inclination distribution functions (LIDF), compared with measurements from two different field sensors. We found that (i) LiDAR can be used to estimate the light environment in the understory in a spatially and angularly consistent way; (ii) high pulse density does not guarantee an accurate characterization of the forest structure, and penetration rate is an important characteristic to accurately describe the forest structure, especially the understory; (iii) taking into account the anisotropic nature of light transmittance improved the estimation of absolute light levels by radiative transfer.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50839,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural and Forest Meteorology","volume":"373 ","pages":"Article 110713"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144630217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}