Multifractal analysis of canopy height measures in a longleaf pine savanna

Spatial patterns of forest canopies are fractal as they exhibit variation over a continuum of scales. A measure of fractal dimension of a forested landscape represents the spatial summation of physiologic (leaf-level), demographic (population-level), and abiotic (e.g., edaphic) processes, as well as exogenous disturbances (e.g., fire and hurricane) and thus provides a basis to classify or monitor such systems. However, forests typically exhibit a spectrum of fractal parameters which yields further insight to the geometric structure of the system and potentially the underlying processes. We calculated multifractal properties of longleaf pine flatwoods, the predominant ecosystem of central Florida, from canopy profile data derived from an airborne laser altimeter and ground-based measurements in The Nature Conservancy's Disney Wilderness Preserve located near Kissimmee, Florida. These metrics were compared for six approximate to 500 m transects to determine the level of consistency between remotely sensed and field measures and within a forest community. Multifractal techniques uncovered subtle differences between transects that could correspond to unique, underlying abiotic and biotic processes. These techniques should be considered a valuable tool for ecological analysis. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.