Measuring and Preserving the Texas A&M Century Tree using Mobile LiDAR

Abstract

As a symbol of Texas A&M University, the Century Tree is one of the most recognizable landmarks in College Station, Texas. This massive Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) has been growing at the university since the late 1800’s, and supports numerous traditions and scholarships important to the campus community. As part of a new monitoring and preservation effort, we employed the use of mobile LiDAR as a non-invasive approach for estimating physical parameters of the tree and creating a 3D digital rendering. Our study suggests that LiDAR- derived measurements are more precise than traditional field-based methods for estimating tree height and diameter at breast height in an urban setting. These measurements can be utilized alongside species-specific allometric equations to estimate values previously calculated by collecting samples which may damage the tree. This study also contributes to the ability of LiDAR point clouds to be used as a tool for cultural preservation alongside historical recordkeeping.