EarthDefine Canopy Height Model

EarthDefine's Canopy Height Model maps tree height as a continuous 60cm raster across more than 85% of the United States: the largest archive of tree-canopy-height data in the country. Each pixel records the overstory height above the underlying ground, derived from LiDAR and high-resolution imagery and refreshed annually. It is the foundational layer for forestry, utility, wildfire, and wireless-planning analysis.

A Canopy Height Model is a high-resolution (60cm) raster layer that maps tree height as a continuous surface: each pixel represents the overstory height above the underlying ground topography. The key data source is LiDAR. Light Detection and Ranging measures elevation for different surface types from the light pulses reflected back to the sensor, producing dense 3D point clouds that can be analysed to map surfaces and their heights. The accuracy and quality of a CHM improve with higher point-density LiDAR.

• evaluating tree shade for solar-energy assessment
• assessing vegetation risk to power lines and other utility infrastructure
• modelling forest metrics like size class, basal area, and volume, in conjunction with suitable field data
• assessing fuel load and fire risk
• monitoring logging and forest recovery
• evaluating the condition of forests in recreational areas
• improving line-of-sight radio-wave propagation modelling for wireless planning
• assessing habitat suitability for wildlife
• creating and analysing forest inventory
• assessing visibility in forested regions from ground-surface points
• identifying trees that may qualify for a Big Tree Register