%0 Research note
%T Estimating canopy cover in Scots pine stands
%A Rautiainen, Miina
%A Stenberg, Pauline
%A Nilson, Tiit
%D 2005
%J Silva Fennica
%V 39
%N 1
%R doi:10.14214/sf.402
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/402
%X The way canopy cover is defined and measured influences the obtained  canopy cover percentage. Estimates of canopy cover are needed, for  example, in canopy radiation modelling and remote sensing applications  and as a tool for political decision-making. In this paper, we  demonstrated the use of two methods, the LAI-2000 Plant Canopy Analyzer  instrument and the Cajanus tube, in Scots pine stands for canopy cover  estimation, and also assessed the number of measurement points required  for reliable estimates. The Cajanus tube yielded slightly larger canopy  closure values than the LAI-2000 instrument, but the values were  nevertheless in good agreement. Both of the methods required  approximately 250 measurement points for canopy closure estimates of a  stand to become relatively stable. We also present the first measured  effective canopy transmittance values for Scots pine stands in Finland  and an example of tree pattern mapping with the Cajanus tube.