Gregory Biging

Professor , Associate Dean for Forestry
Ph.D.  
  

162 Mulford Hall
Berkeley, California 94720
biging@nature.berkeley.edu
office: 510-643-1249   lab: 510-642-1249   fax:  510-642-5438

     Recent publications      People

Our group does research in:

• biometrics/ecometrics-forest and ecological measurement and modeling
• remote sensing-using satellite and camera imagery to monitor forest ecosystems
• photoecometrics-deriving ecological measurements from high resolution digital imagery acquired with aircraft

We work on levels ranging from individual plants and trees to landscapes. Much of our research is based on measuring and modeling how trees and forests look and how they grow and develop through time. To do so requires measurement and remeasurement of tens of thousands of individual trees throughout California. These models are then assembled into a simulation system, which allows one to experiment to find the best ways to manage forest resources.

A second realm we work in involves developing remote sensing technologies that allow us to effectively monitor forest and wildlife habitats over time. As part of this effort our group has teamed up with Dr. Peng Gong and his research team to develop the new field of photoecometrics. This work seeks to advance traditional field inventory methodology by 1) significantly reducing the cost of field data collection, 2) demonstrating the accuracy of photo-derived ecological field measurements, 3)speeding up data acquisition and analysis, 4) allowing for much broader sampling coverage and hence improving sample representativeness, and 4) allowing for repeatability of measurements.

A major research effort is in photoecometrics of non-commercial and commercial forests (joint with Dr. Peng Gong). We are attempting to measure as many forest and tree-size parameters from high-resolution stereo digital imagery as is technically feasible. To successfully do this we employ techniques from digital softcopy photogrammetry, machine vision, shape and pattern recognition, neural networks and statistics to identify individual trees and to measure their height and crown dimensions and make species determinations. We have mapped and measured large forest plots to assess the accuracy our photo-derived measurements. Our current study areas are in oak woodlands in California. We have now expanded our investigation to commercial forests (even and uneven aged conifer species in California, Florida and Texas). Our goal is to provide techniques, which can be rapidly applied, say after a wildfire, to assess forest resources. Or they can be used to reduce the cost of conventional sampling campaigns.

Fisher, J.B., Trulio, L.A., G.S. Biging and D. Chromczak. 2007. An Analysis of Spatial Clustering and Implications for Wildlife Management: A Burrowing Owl Example. Environmental Management.

Gómez, D., G.S. Biging and J. Montero. 2007. Accuracy statistics for judging soft classification. International Journal of Remote Sensing. Vol 00, NO. 00, DD Month 200x, 1-16.

Amo, A, D. Gómez, J. Montero & G.S. Biging. 2007. Improving fuzzy classification by means of a segmentation algorithm. (Book) Studies in Fuzziness and Soft Computation. 454-473.

Yu, Q., P. Gong, N. Clinton, G.S. Biging, M. Kelly and D. Schirokauer, 2006. Object-based detailed vegetation classification with airborne high spatial resolution remote sensing imagery, Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 72(7) 799-811.

Lee, W.K., G.S. Biging, Y. Son, W.H. Byun, K.H. Lee, Y.M. Son and J.H. Seo. 2006. Geostatistical analysis of regional differences in stem taper form of Pinus densiflora in central Korea. Ecological Research. 21(4):513-525

Fonti, P., P. Cherubini, A. Rigling, W. Pascale and G.S. Biging. 2006. Tree rings show competitive dynamics in abandoned Castanea sativa coppices after land-use changes. J. Vegetation Science 17: 103-112.

Neeff, T., G.S. Biging, L.V. Dutra, C.C. Freitas J.R. dos Santos. 2005. Markov point processes for modeling spatial forest patterns in Amazonia derived from interferometric height. Remote Sensing of Environment 97(4) 484-494.

Neeff, T., G.S. Biging, L.V. Dutra, C.C. Freitas and J.R. dos Santos. 2005. Modeling spatial tree patterns in the Tapajós Forest using interferometric height. Revista Brasileira de Cartografia. 57(01): 1-6.

Pu, R., Q. Yu, P. Gong and G.S. Biging. 2005.EO-1 Hyperion, ALI and Landsat 7 ETM+ data comparison for estimating forest crown closure and leaf area index. International J. Remote Sensing. 26(3): 457–474.

Lee, Woo-Kyun, G.S. Biging. K. von Gadow and Woo-Kyuk Byun. 2005. A forest planning model for continuous employment in a forested village with primarily young stands in Korea. New Forests 29(1): 15-32.

Gong, P., X. Miao, K. Tate, C. Battaglia and G.S. Biging. 2004. Water table level in relation to EO-1 ALI and ETM+ data overa mountainous meadow in California. Canadian J. Remote Sensing. 30(5): 691-696.

Xu B, Gong P, Biging G.S., Liang S, Seto E, Spear RC. 2004. Snail density prediction for Schistosomiasis control using IKONOS and ASTER images. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing. 70(11): 1285-1294.

Wang, L., W. Sousa, P. Gong and G.S. Biging. 2004 Comparison of IKONOS and QuickBird images for mapping mangrove species on the Caribbean coast of Panama. Remote Sensing of Environment 91(3-4) 432-440.

Amo, A., J. Montero, G.S. Biging and V. Cutello. Fuzzy classification systems. 2004. European Journal of Operational Research: Computing, Artificial Intelligence and Information Technology 156(2): 495-507.

Patil GP, Balbus J, Biging G.S., Jaja J, Myers WL, Taillie C. 2004. Multiscale advanced raster map analysis system: Definition, design and development. Environmental and Ecological Statistics 11 (2): 113-138.

Wang L., P. Gong, G.S. Biging. 2004. Individual tree crown delineation and treetop detection in high spatial resolution aerial imagery. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing 70(3):351-357.

Pu, R., P. Gong and G. S. Biging. 2003 Simple calibration of AVIRIS data and LAI mapping of forest plantation in southern Argentina. International Journal of Remote Sensing 24(23): 4699-4714.

Gong, P., R. Pu, G.S. Biging, M. Larrieu. 2003. Estimation of forest leaf area index using vegetation indices derived from Hyperion hyperspectral data. Geoscience and Remote Sensing, IEEE Transactions on. 41(6): 1355-1362.

Pu, R., P. Gong, G.S. Biging, and M. Larrieu. 2003. Extraction of red edge optical parameters from Hyperion data for forest LAI estimation. Geoscience and Remote Sensing, IEEE Transactions on. 41(4): 916-921.

Gong, P., S. Mahler, G.S. Biging, and D. Newburn, 2003. Vineyard identification in an oak woodland landscape with airborne digital camera imagery, International Journal of Remote Sensing. 24(6):1303-1315.

Sheng Y., P. Gong, and G.S. Biging. 2003. True orthoimage production from large scale aerial photographs. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing. 69(3):259-266

Sheng, Y., P. Gong, G.S. Biging, 2003. Model-based conifer canopy surface reconstruction from photographic imagery: from single tree to a forest stand. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing. 69(3):249-258.