# Sub-meter tree height mapping of California using aerial images and LiDAR-informed U-Net model

*PRI Rank #18 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Forest ecology and management Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/forest-ecology-and-management/2026/rank-18*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #18 |
| 18m citations | 39 |
| Journal | Remote Sensing of Environment |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.rse.2024.114099 |
| Corresponding authors | Fabien Wagner |
| Institution | CTrees, United States |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Forest ecology and management Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/forest-ecology-and-management/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1016/j.rse.2024.114099](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2024.114099)

## Topics

canopy height · U-Net model · USDA-NAIP aerial imagery · Sub-meter spatial resolution · canopy height · RGB-NIR imagery · California forest mapping · Sub-meter spatial resolution · canopy height · forest structural complexity · LiDAR-informed training · deep learning for forestry · canopy height · biomass estimation · nadir-looking optical imagery · 50 m height range without saturation · tree cover mapping

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Forest ecology and management Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/forest-ecology-and-management/2026. Accessed 2026-07-23.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```