COMPARISON OF THE COST AND ACCURACY OF A FOREST INVENTORY USING ALS AUXILIAR DATA WITH A TRADITIONAL FIELD DATA INVENTORY

This paper synthesizes the conclusions of the research group on the applicability and improvement of forest inventory results, using auxiliary data from ALS technology, compared to a traditional inventory with field data obtained by sampling with plots. ALS data are a great advance for the improvement of knowledge about forests and forest variables, this improvement of knowledge does not mean that the field work and therefore the costs of a forest inventory are decreased. When the smaller units are considered, ALS methods appear as more advantageous alternatives than those based on classical inventory. True progress in forest management involves maintaining sampling efforts, in some cases reaching the intensity of a traditional inventory, to obtain acceptable estimates of the aggregate variables (V, B, G, Dg, Ho, N) in the AOI (Areas Of Interest), into which the forest can be divided for management. On the other hand, this also allows improving the estimates of the diameter distribution in the total forest and subpopulations (forest or management units) of the area where the sampling was designed.