Evaluating the impact of sampling schemes on leaf area index measurements from digital hemispherical photography in Larix principis-rupprechtii forest plots

Background:Digital hemispherical photography(DHP)is widely used to estimate the leaf area index(LAI)of forest plots due to its advantages of high efficiency and low cost.A crucial step in the LAI estimation of forest plots via DHP is choosing a sampling scheme.However,various sampling schemes involving DHP have been used for the LAI estimation of forest plots.To date,the impact of sampling schemes on LAI estimation from DHP has not been comprehensively investigated.Methods:In this study,13 commonly used sampling schemes which belong to five sampling types(i.e.dispersed,square,cross,transect and circle)were adopted in the LAI estimation of five Larix principis-rupprechtii plots(25m×25 m).An additional sampling scheme(with a sample size of 89)was generated on the basis of all the sample points of the 13 sampling schemes.Three typical inversion models and four canopy element clumping index(Ωe)algorithms were involved in the LAI estimation.The impacts of the sampling schemes on four variables,including gap fraction,Ωe,effective plant area index(PAIe)and LAI estimation from DHP were analysed.The LAI estimates obtained with different sampling schemes were then compared with those obtained from litter collection measurements.Results:Large differences were observed for all four variable estimates(i.e.gap fraction,Ωe,PAIe and LAI)under different sampling schemes.The differences in impact of sampling schemes on LAI estimation were not obvious for the three inversion models,if the fourΩe algorithms,except for the traditional gap-size analysis algorithm were adopted in the estimation.The accuracy of LAI estimation was not always improved with an increase in sample size.Moreover,results indicated that with the appropriate inversion model,Ωe algorithm and sampling scheme,the maximum estimation error of DHP-estimated LAI at elementary sampling unit can be less than 20%,which is required by the global climate observing system,except in forest plots with extremely large LAI values(~>6.0).However,obtaining an LAI from DHP with an estimation error lower than 5%is impossible regardless of which combination of inversion model,Ωe algorithm and sampling scheme is used.Conclusion:The LAI estimation of L.principis-rupprechtii forests from DHP was largely affected by the sampling schemes adopted in the estimation.Thus,the sampling scheme should be seriously considered in the LAI estimation.One square and two transect sampling schemes(with sample sizes ranging from 3 to 9)were recommended to be used to estimate the LAI of L.principis-rupprechtii forests with the smallest mean relative error(MRE).By contrast,three cross and one dispersed sampling schemes were identified to provide LAI estimates with relatively large MREs.

On the sampling strategies and models for measuring diffusion exchange with a double diffusion encoding sequence

Water exchange between the different compartments of a heterogeneous specimen can be characterized via diffusion magnetic resonance imaging(dMRI).Many analysis frameworks using dMRI data have been proposed to describe exchange,often using a double diffusion encoding(DDE)stimulated echo sequence.Techniques such as diffusion exchange weighted imaging(DEWI)and the filter exchange and rapid exchange models,use a specific subset of the full space DDE signal.In this work,a general representation of the DDE signal was employed with different sampling schemes(namely constant b1,diagonal and anti-diagonal)from the data reduction models to estimate exchange.A near-uniform sampling scheme was proposed and compared with the other sampling schemes.The filter exchange and rapid exchange models were also applied to estimate exchange with their own subsampling schemes.These subsampling schemes and models were compared on both simulated data and experimental data acquired with a benchtop MR scanner.In synthetic data,the diagonal and near-uniform sampling schemes performed the best due to the consistency of their estimates with the ground truth.In experimental data,the shifted diagonal and near-uniform sampling schemes outperformed the others,yielding the most consistent estimates with the full space estimation.The results suggest the feasibility of measuring exchange using a general representation of the DDE signal along with variable sampling schemes.In future studies,algorithms could be further developed for the optimization of sampling schemes,as well as incorporating additional properties,such as geometry and diffusion anisotropy,into exchange frameworks.

Optimised Spatial Sampling Scheme for Soil Electriclal Conductivity Based on Variance Quad-Tree (VQT) Method

The acquisition of precise soil data representative of the entire survey area, is a critical issue for many treatments such as irrigation or fertilization in precision agriculture. The aim of this study was to investigate the spatial variability of soil bulk electrical conductivity （ECb） in a coastal saline field and design an optimized spatial sampling scheme of ECb based on a sampling design algorithm, the variance quad-tree （VQT） method. Soil ECb data were collected from the field at 20 m interval in a regular grid scheme. The smooth contour map of the whole field was obtained by ordinary kriging interpolation, VQT algorithm was then used to split the smooth contour map into strata of different number desired, the sampling locations can be selected within each stratum in subsequent sampling. The result indicated that the probability of choosing representative sampling sites was increased significantly by using VQT method with the sampling number being greatly reduced compared to grid sampling design while retaining the same prediction accuracy. The advantage of the VQT method is that this scheme samples sparsely in fields where the spatial variability is relatively uniform and more intensive where the variability is large. Thus the sampling efficiency can be improved, hence facilitate an assessment methodology that can be applied in a rapid, practical and cost-effective manner.

Near-surface velocity model construction based on a Monte-Carlo scheme

In tomographic statics seismic data processing, it 1s crucial to cletermme an optimum base for a near-surface model. In this paper, we consider near-surface model base determination as a global optimum problem. Given information from uphole shooting and the first-arrival times from a surface seismic survey, we present a near-surface velocity model construction method based on a Monte-Carlo sampling scheme using a layered equivalent medium assumption. Compared with traditional least-squares first-arrival tomography, this scheme can delineate a clearer, weathering-layer base, resulting in a better implementation of damming correction. Examples using synthetic and field data are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

FARMLAND AND URBAN AREA DYNAMICS MONITORING INCHINA USING REMOTE SENSING AND SPATIALSTATISTICS METHODOLOGY

With the need in the global change research project for the land -use/land-cover change information, most international and regional research organization or groups have put amounts of efforts to improve of the dynamics monitoring and database updating techniques. With the pressure on nature environment from increasing population and decreasing farmland be- coming significant more and more in China, the farmland urban dynamics in historical and current times, even the change trends in the future, should be monitored and analyzed serving for regional and national social, economic and environmental sustain- able development in the long future. Based on spatial and temporal series of land -use/land-cover database resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences designed a sampling framework for monitoring farmland and urban area dynamics in regional and national level. In order to test the accuracy of the sampling schema for national and regional level, we took two provinces area into overall covered change detecting process with TM images data through being inter’Preted by digitalization on the screen. The result shows that our stratified random sampling schema is suitable for monitoring land -use/land-cover change at national and regional level with quick response, high accuracy and low expenses. The land-use/land-cover change (LUCC) information can update the LUTEA database for global change research during certain period so that the forecasting process and evaluating analysis on land resources and environment under human and natural driving force will get essential data and produce valuable conclusions.

Optimization of stratification scheme for a fishery-independent survey with multiple objectives

Fishery-independent surveys are often used for collecting high quality biological and ecological data to support fisheries management. A careful optimization of fishery-independent survey design is necessary to improve the precision of survey estimates with cost-effective sampling efforts. We developed a simulation approach to evaluate and optimize the stratification scheme for a fishery-independent survey with multiple goals including estimation of abundance indices of individual species and species diversity indices. We compared the performances of the sampling designs with different stratification schemes for different goals over different months. Gains in precision of survey estimates from the stratification schemes were acquired compared to simple random sampling design for most indices. The stratification scheme with five strata performed the best. This study showed that the loss of precision of survey estimates due to the reduction of sampling efforts could be compensated by improved stratification schemes, which would reduce the cost and negative impacts of survey trawling on those species with low abundance in the fishery-independent survey. This study also suggests that optimization of a survey design differed with different survey objectives. A post-survey analysis can improve the stratification scheme of fishery-independent survey designs.

Compression schemes for concept classes induced by three types of discrete undirected graphical models

Sample compression schemes were first proposed by Littlestone and Warmuth in 1986.Undi-rected graphical model is a powerful tool for classification in statistical learning.In this paper,we consider labelled compression schemes for concept classes induced by discrete undirected graphical models.For the undirected graph of two vertices with no edge,where one vertex takes two values and the other vertex can take any finite number of values,we propose an algorithm to establish a labelled compression scheme of size VC dimension of associated concept class.Further,we extend the result to other two types of undirected graphical models and show the existence of labelled compression schemes of size VC dimension for induced concept classes.The work of this paper makes a step forward in solving sample compression problem for concept class induced by a general discrete undirected graphical model.

The Theory of Composite and Switching Characteristics under Sampling Scheme-I

Using the new theoretical method managed by theory concerned with recurrent state and transient state obtains complete composite and switching characteristics of various kinds of sampling schemes, especially ISO 2859.

The Theory of Composite and Switching Characteristics under Sampling Scheme-Ⅱ

3.Composite and Switching Characteristics under ISO 2859 Sampling Scheme IS(1)Graphs of sampling program of IS.