Validation Of Global Forest Canopy Height Data In A Semi-Arid Algerian Forest Environment

The objective of this study was to assess the relevance of canopy height data for global forests in the context of a natural forest located in a semi-arid ecosystem of the Saharan Atlas. In the operational context of integrating this data into future national forest inventories, we calculated the root mean square errors (RMSE) using observed data for the years 2009 and 2023 with 151 and 78 plots, respectively. Validation results revealed RMSE values of 6.60 and 5.26 for the years 2009 and 2023, highlighting some uncertainty primarily attributed to saturation in forested areas and shadow effects. Precision also varies based on the structural parameters of forest stands.