We propose using geostatistical methods for the spatial analysis of data pertaining to the size of trees (in
terms of canopy surface area) obtained by means of remote sensing methods. Geostatistical methods are
suitable because the locations of the trees are at the nodes of an unstructured grid. More specifically, we
present a semivariogram analysis to detect correlations in the tree size spatial distribution, and we apply a
novel method of anisotropy analysis to search for possible anisotropy in the size distribution. We use a
combination of aerial photographs and satellite images in four snapshots covering 37 years to investigate the
temporal behavior in addition to the spatial distribution at a single time. The aerial photographs were taken in
1964, 1984, 1993, and the IKONOS satellite image in 2001. We follow a study area covering over 139 ha and
over 2,000 tree individuals. Our plots are located in the Southern Kalahari savanna near the city of Kimberley,
South Africa.
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