• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.101 no.3
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• pp.374-380
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• 2012

The k-Nearest Neighbor (kNN) technique is popularly applied to assess forest resources at the county level and to provide its spatial information by combining large area forest inventory data and remote sensing data. In this study, two approaches such as distance-weighting and stratification of training dataset, were compared to improve kNN-based forest growing stock estimates. When compared with five distance weights (0 to 2 by 0.5), the accuracy of kNN-based estimates was very similar ranged ${\pm}0.6m^3/ha$ in mean deviation. The training dataset were stratified by horizontal reference area (HRA) and forest cover type, which were applied by separately and combined. Even though the accuracy of estimates by combining forest cover type and HRA- 100 km was slightly improved, that by forest cover type was more efficient with sufficient number of training data. The mean of forest growing stock based kNN with HRA-100 and stratification by forest cover type when k=7 were somewhat underestimated ($5m^3/ha$) compared to statistical yearbook of forestry at 2011.