Scanning the forest with LiDaR

LiDaR is abbreviated for Light Detection and Ranging using laser beams. But fear not! The laser wavelengths we use are not harmful for animals or the environment in any way. LiDaR scans are a digital representation of the physical world. This is why such scans are also referred to as digital twins. Such scans can be taken stationary on the ground (terrestrial, as in the photo), while waking (mobile), and even by using drones (Unmanned-Airborne-Vehicle). With terrestrial laser scanning, it is possible to scan a full ha of forest in a day. Afterwards, we can derive a great variety of forest features from these scans, such as: tree sizes, tree heights, tree diameter breast heights, distances between trees, canopy cover, leaf density, and so on. I will particularly use the scans for deriving a tree-based neighborhood density for all trees. This will be a measure for how much competition is experienced by the subject tree. In addition, these scans are a fantastic way to look back in time when these scans are taken every 5 years. Any questions? Contact: eva.meijers@wur.nl