Patent Document ID: 7639842
Application ID: 11728099
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A computer-implemented forest inventory method comprising: a. processing remote sensing data indicative of tree attribute information for said forest using a computer system, said remote sensing data comprising at least one of LiDAR data and digital images; b. defining a sampling frame within said remote sensing data using said computer system; c. determining a field plot corresponding to said sampling frame and collecting field plot data therefrom using said computer system, said field plot data comprising actual tree attribute information; d. generating a correlated model using said computer system by combining said field plot data with said remote sensing data corresponding to said sample frame; e. applying said correlated model using said computer system to all said remote sensing data to produce a probabilistic forest inventory; f. wherein generating said correlated model further comprising using said computer system for automatic field tree matching to create a table in which measured field tree records are merged with tree polygon objects based upon geographic proximity, wherein said tree polygon objects are derived from said remote sensing data; and g. using said computer system to manually adjust said tree matching based upon interpreter estimate that a field tree is either contributing some pixels of a tree polygon that was created, or is not visible from the air because of a larger tree that contributed some or all pixels of said tree polygon.