Accurate estimation of tree biomass is essential for understanding forest ecosystem carbon dynamics and evaluating carbon sequestration capacity. Conventional methods mainly rely on destructive harvesting or allometric equations. Destructive measurements are highly accurate, but labor-intensive and unsuitable for repeated observations. Allometric approaches often lack the precision needed to resolve biomass allocation among different tree components.

A recent study published in Methods in Ecology and Evolution and led by Prof. SU Yanjun from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences reported a new terrestrial laser scanning-based method for accurately estimating tree above-ground biomass and its allocation among stems, branches, and leaves without destructive harvesting.

Researchers integrated wood-leaf separation, voxel-based foliage estimation, and detailed three-dimensional reconstruction into a unified terrestrial laser scanning workflow, enabling fine-scale estimation of individual tree above-ground biomass and its component allocation while overcoming the limitations of conventional methods.

Researchers showed that this workflow significantly outperformed conventional allometric models in estimating total above-ground biomass and maintained robust performance even at fine branch scales, including for very small branches. The method has been successfully applied to rare and endangered tree species such as Cathaya argyrophylla.

This study provides an efficient non-destructive and high-precision tool for monitoring individual plant growth, supporting conservation and population recovery studies, and advancing long-term forest ecosystem and carbon-cycle research.