{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,7]],"date-time":"2026-02-07T13:03:56Z","timestamp":1770469436828,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,15]],"date-time":"2024-06-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1718409600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Austrian Research Promotion Agency","award":["899975"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["899975"]}]},{"name":"Austrian Research Promotion Agency","award":["47418931"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["47418931"]}]},{"name":"Austrian Research Promotion Agency","award":["CMS 2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CMS 2020"]}]},{"name":"Austrian Research Promotion Agency","award":["CMS 2018"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CMS 2018"]}]},{"name":"Michigan State University AgBioResearch and NASA CMS","award":["899975"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["899975"]}]},{"name":"Michigan State University AgBioResearch and NASA CMS","award":["47418931"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["47418931"]}]},{"name":"Michigan State University AgBioResearch and NASA CMS","award":["CMS 2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CMS 2020"]}]},{"name":"Michigan State University AgBioResearch and NASA CMS","award":["CMS 2018"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CMS 2018"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Remote Sensing"],"abstract":"<jats:p>A novel Bayesian spatial distributional regression model is presented to predict forest structural diversity in terms of the distributions of the stem diameter at breast height (DBH) in the protection forests in Ebensee, Austria. The distributional regression approach overcomes the limitations and uncertainties of traditional regression modeling, in which the conditional mean of the response is regressed against explanatory variables. The distributional regression addresses the complete conditional response distribution, instead. In total 36,338 sample trees were measured via a handheld mobile personal laser scanning system (PLS) on 273 sample plots each having a 20 m radius. Recent airborne laser scanning (ALS) data were used to derive regression covariates from the normalized digital vegetation height model (DVHM) and the digital terrain model (DTM). Candidate models were constructed that differed in their linear predictors of the two gamma distribution parameters. In the distributional regression approach, covariates can enter the model in a flexible form, such as via nonlinear smooth curves, cyclic smooths, or spatial effects. Supported by Bayesian diagnostics DIC and WAIC, nonlinear smoothing splines outperformed linear parametric slope coefficients, and the best implementation of spatial structured effects was achieved by a Gaussian process smooth. Model fitting and posterior parameter inference was achieved by using full Bayesian methodology and MCMC sampling algorithms implemented in the R-package BAMLSS. With BAMLSS, spatial interval predictions of the DBH distribution at any new geo-locations were enabled via straightforward access to the posterior predictive distributions of the model terms and by offering simple plug-in solutions for new covariate values. A cross-validation analysis validated the robustness of the proposed method\u2019s parameter estimation and out-of-sample prediction. Spatial predictions of stem count proportions per DBH classes revealed that regeneration of smaller trees was lacking in certain areas of the protection forest landscape. Therefore, the intensity of final felling needs to be increased to reduce shading from the dense, overmature shelter trees and to promote sunlight for the young regeneration trees.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/rs16122181","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,17]],"date-time":"2024-06-17T04:48:12Z","timestamp":1718599692000},"page":"2181","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Spatial Prediction of Diameter Distributions for the Alpine Protection Forests in Ebensee, Austria, Using ALS\/PLS and Spatial Distributional Regression Models"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7065-7601","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Arne","family":"Nothdurft","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Forest Growth, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Peter-Jordan-Str. 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6833-6713","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andreas","family":"Tockner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Forest Growth, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Peter-Jordan-Str. 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4882-5920","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sarah","family":"Witzmann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Forest Growth, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Peter-Jordan-Str. 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7036-5115","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christoph","family":"Gollob","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Forest Growth, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Peter-Jordan-Str. 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7520-628X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tim","family":"Ritter","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Forest Growth, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Peter-Jordan-Str. 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria"}]},{"given":"Ralf","family":"Kra\u00dfnitzer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Forest Growth, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Peter-Jordan-Str. 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9350-2859","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karl","family":"Stampfer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Forest Engineering, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Peter-Jordan-Str. 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2277-2912","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrew O.","family":"Finley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Forestry, Michigan State University, Natural Resources Building, East Lansing, MI 48824-1222, USA"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107","DOI":"10.1016\/S0378-1127(00)00578-8","article-title":"Resistance and elasticity: Promising concepts for the management of protection forests in the European Alps","volume":"145","author":"Brang","year":"2001","journal-title":"For. 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