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TreeInfo

TreeInfo is a tool for extracting comprehensive statistical information about tree files. It provides detailed analysis of tree structure, biomass, dimensions, and branching characteristics, saving results to both console output and detailed information files.

Usage

treeinfo <tree_file> [options]
  • <tree_file>: Input tree file for analysis

Options

  • --branch_data: Creates additional branch-level attributes (branch number, segment length, branch order, extension, position)
  • --layer_height <value>: Reports volume per vertical layer of specified height
  • --crop_length <value>: Adjusts calculations for cropped branch lengths (should match rayextract trees crop_length if used)

Output Files

Main Output

  • Console: Summary statistics for all trees
  • <input>_info.txt: Detailed per-tree and per-segment information file

Analysis Categories

Forest-level Statistics

Volume and Biomass

  • Total woody volume: Sum of all branch volumes (m³)
  • Estimated biomass: Wood mass at 0.5 tonnes/m³ (tonnes and kg)
  • Volume distribution: Mean, minimum, and maximum per tree

Spatial Distribution

  • Forest extent: Minimum and maximum coordinates
  • Centroid location: Mean tree positions
  • Spatial spread: Range of tree locations

Tree-level Attributes

Physical Characteristics

  • Height: Maximum tree height from base to tip
  • Crown radius: Approximate radius of tree crown
  • DBH (Diameter at Breast Height): Trunk diameter measurement
  • Total volume: Woody volume per individual tree

Structural Metrics

  • Dimension: Statistical measure of branch length scaling
  • Monocotal: Measure of palm-like characteristics (0-1 scale)
  • Trunk strength: Diameter^0.75/length ratio
  • Trunk bend: Standard deviation from straight line

Branching Characteristics

  • Branch dominance: Size ratio of largest to second-largest branches
  • Branch angle: Mean angle between parent and child branches
  • Children count: Number of child branches per segment

Segment-level Attributes

Geometric Properties

  • Volume: Volume of individual segments or total tree volume (root segment)
  • Diameter: Segment diameter or maximum tree diameter (root segment)
  • Length: Segment length or distance to farthest leaf

Structural Analysis

  • Strength: Diameter^0.75/length for mechanical analysis
  • Min strength: Minimum strength between segment and root
  • Dominance: Branch dominance ratios
  • Angle: Local branching angles

Examples

Basic Tree Analysis

Get comprehensive tree information:

treeinfo forest.txt

Detailed Branch Analysis

Include additional branch-level attributes:

treeinfo trees.txt --branch_data

Layered Volume Analysis

Analyze volume distribution by height layers:

treeinfo forest.txt --layer_height 5

Corrected Length Analysis

Account for branch cropping in reconstruction:

treeinfo extracted_trees.txt --crop_length 1.5

Comprehensive Analysis

Full analysis with all options:

treeinfo forest.txt --branch_data --layer_height 2 --crop_length 1.0

Statistical Output

Summary Statistics Format

For each metric, reports:

  • Mean value: Average across all trees
  • Minimum value: Smallest observed value
  • Maximum value: Largest observed value
  • Total value: Sum across forest (where applicable)

Per-tree Statistics

  • Individual measurements for each tree
  • Tree-level attribute distributions
  • Comparative analysis capabilities

Per-segment Statistics

  • Branch-level detailed information
  • Hierarchical structure analysis
  • Individual segment characteristics

Branch Data Attributes (with --branch_data)

Branch Organization

  • Branch number: Unique identifier for each branch
  • Branch order: Hierarchical level (1=trunk, 2=primary, etc.)
  • Position in branch: Segment number within branch

Geometric Measurements

  • Segment length: Length of individual segments
  • Extension: Distance from segment to farthest leaf
  • Branch characteristics: Complete branch-level analysis

Applications

Forest Inventory

  • Calculate total biomass and carbon storage
  • Assess forest structure and composition
  • Generate inventory reports

Research Analysis

  • Study tree architecture and biomass allocation
  • Analyze branching patterns and scaling laws
  • Compare forest types and management effects

Quality Assessment

  • Validate tree reconstruction algorithms
  • Check data quality and completeness
  • Assess measurement accuracy

Management Planning

  • Estimate harvestable volume
  • Plan silvicultural treatments
  • Assess growth potential

Integration Workflow

Typical Processing Chain

  1. Extract trees: Use rayextract trees to generate tree file
  2. Analyze structure: Use treeinfo to get detailed statistics
  3. Color by attributes: Use treecolour <attribute> to visualize specific metrics
  4. Create visualizations: Use treemesh to generate 3D renderings

Attribute Utilization

Generated attributes can be used with:

  • treecolour: Color branches by any calculated attribute
  • treemesh: Render colored tree structures
  • treesplit: Split trees based on attribute values

Output Interpretation

Volume Metrics

  • High volume/tree: Mature forest, large trees
  • Low volume/tree: Young forest, small trees
  • High variance: Mixed-age forest

Structural Metrics

  • High dimension: Complex branching structure
  • Low dimension: Simple, palm-like structure
  • High strength: Mechanically robust trees

Branching Metrics

  • High dominance: Clear main branches
  • Low dominance: Many similar-sized branches
  • Large angles: Wide branch spreading

Quality Indicators

Data Completeness

  • Tree count and segment numbers
  • Attribute availability and ranges
  • Missing data identification

Measurement Validity

  • Realistic value ranges for forest type
  • Consistent scaling relationships
  • Proper hierarchical structure

Reconstruction Quality

  • Smooth branching patterns
  • Appropriate trunk characteristics
  • Logical size distributions

Examples by Forest Type

Mature Deciduous Forest

treeinfo deciduous_forest.txt --layer_height 3

Coniferous Plantation

treeinfo pine_plantation.txt --branch_data

Mixed Forest Analysis

treeinfo mixed_forest.txt --layer_height 5 --crop_length 2.0

Urban Forest Assessment

treeinfo urban_trees.txt --branch_data --layer_height 2

Additional Information

  • All calculations use cylindrical approximations for branch volumes
  • Biomass estimates assume wood density of 0.5 tonnes/m³
  • Branch order follows standard forestry conventions (trunk=1, primary branches=2, etc.)
  • For more detailed information on analysis algorithms, refer to the TreeInfo source code at treetools/treetools/treeinfo/treeinfo.cpp.