Digital picture processing: a new method to analyse vegetation structure

In this paper a new method for analysis of vegetation structure with a digital picture processing technique is compared with two well-known methods: the point-frequency method and the harvest method. The investigation was carried out in heathland and chalk grassland. Data on vertical distribution measured by the digital picture processing technique were significantly correlated with the data of the pointfrequency method and that of dry weight distribution (harvest method). It is concluded that digital picture processing has several advantages with respect to time investment and repetition, and is a good alternative to vegetation structure quantification.