A field test of forest canopy structure measurements with the CanopyCapture smartphone application

Several smartphone applications have been developed for the purpose of low-cost and convenient assessments of vegetation canopy structure and understorey illumination. Like standard hemispherical photography, most of these applications require user decisions about image processing, posing challenges for repeatability of measurements. Here I report a test of CanopyCapture, an application that instantaneously estimates percentage canopy gap fraction without any input from the user, and has the added advantage of an intuitive levelling mechanism.

Gap fraction estimates by CanopyCapture were compared with gap fraction values computed by the LAI-2200C Canopy Analyzer, in two contrasting evergreen temperate forests in New Zealand: an even-aged southern beech (Nothofagus) stand and an old-growth podocarp/broadleaf forest. These comparisons were repeated using a wide-angle adapter to enhance the smartphone camera's field of view from 45 to 65°. I also asked if CanopyCapture results depended on sky condition (sunny vs. overcast) and on the type of smartphone used.

CanopyCapture output was significantly correlated with gap fraction computed by the LAI-2200C (R² = 0.39), and use of the wide-angle adapter lifted this value to 0.56. However, CanopyCapture output was not significantly correlated with LAI-2200C output in the even-aged Nothofagus stand, where there was less spatial variation in canopy structure. Despite being much less sensitive to variation in gap fraction than the LAI-2200C, CanopyCapture was nevertheless able to detect differences in average gap fraction between the two forests studied. CanopyCapture results beneath intact canopies were not significantly affected by sky condition, but reflection of direct light off tree trunks in sunny weather caused slight overestimation of gap fraction beneath broken canopies and gaps. Uneven or patchy cloud cover can also cause erroneous readings beneath large canopy openings. Three different models of smartphone gave different results.

CanopyCapture offers a rapid and repeatable proxy for comparisons of average canopy gap fraction in multiple stands/forests, provided large sample sizes are used. Measurement under even overcast skies is recommended, and studies involving multiple operators will need to standardize smartphones to ensure comparability of results. Although wide-angle adapters can improve performance, CanopyCapture's low sensitivity prevents high-resolution comparisons of the light environments of individual understorey plants within a stand.