Theory 17/Canopy structure/Spaceborne lidar
Carbon Follows Vertical Structure
The claim
Above-ground carbon is set by the ratio of canopy height to crown packing rather than by area, so two forests of equal extent can differ several-fold.
01Mechanism
Carbon scales with volume and density; lidar measures both as a vertical profile rather than an optical average.
02Prediction
Carbon should track the structure ratio.
03Refutation
Carbon tracking forest area would remove the vertical term.
04What makes it checkable
Spaceborne lidar now profiles canopy height and density globally, replacing area-based estimates that could not see inside the canopy.
05Why it was not testable before
Optical sensors saw the top of the canopy; lidar sees through it.