Evolutionary feature selection to estimate forest stand variablesusing LiDAR

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) has become an important tool in forestry. LiDAR-derived models are mostly developed by means of multiple linear regression (MLR) after stepwise selection of predictors. An increasing interest in machine learning and evolutionary computation has recently arisen to...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: García Gutiérrez, Jorge, González Ferreiro, Eduardo, Riquelme Santos, José Cristóbal, Miranda, David, Diéguez Aranda, Ulises, Navarro Cerrillo, Rafael M.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2014
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/43570
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11441/43570
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2013.06.005
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Evolutionary computation
Forest-stand variables
LiDAR
regression
Stepwise selection
Descripción
Sumario:Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) has become an important tool in forestry. LiDAR-derived models are mostly developed by means of multiple linear regression (MLR) after stepwise selection of predictors. An increasing interest in machine learning and evolutionary computation has recently arisen to improve regression use in LiDAR data processing. Although evolutionary machine learning has already proven to be suitable for regression, evolutionary computation may also be applied to improve parametric models such as MLR. This paper provides a hybrid approach based on joint use of MLR and a novel genetic algorithm for the estimation of the main forest stand variables. We show a comparison between our genetic approach and other common methods of selecting predictors. The results obtained from several LiDAR datasets with different pulse densities in two areas of the Iberian Peninsula indicate that genetic algorithms perform better than the other methods statistically. Preliminary studies suggest that a lack of parametric conditions in field data and possible misuse of parametric tests may be the main reasons for the better performance of the genetic algorithm. This research confirms the findings of previous studies that outline the importance of evolutionary computation in the context of LiDAR analisys of forest data, especially when the size of fieldwork datatasets is reduced.