Assessing mobile laser scanning potential for stand-level forest inventories in near-natural forests

A new study published in Forests suggests that many quantitative forest attributes can be successfully estimated using a handheld mobile laser scanner, even in structurally complex forest plots.

93
Photo: Antonio Tose/Pexels

The overall results in the paper “Assessing the potential of mobile laser scanning for stand-level forest inventories in near-natural forests” suggest that many quantitative forest attributes (mean DBH, basal area, growing stock, dominant height, understory cover, and the number of trees) can be successfully estimated using a handheld mobile laser scanner even in structurally complex forest plots. Diameter distribution of stands and tree maps can also be extracted from point cloud data. Estimation accuracies generally increase with stand maturation, but there is still a need for traditional field surveys to capture qualitative attributes, such as species mixture and timber quality.

Free access to the paper

SOURCECan Vatandaşlar, Mehmet Seki and Mustafa Zeybek
Previous articlePEFC Spain and Sylvestris Group team up to foster sustainable forest management and CO2 absorption
Next articleEFIMED’s April newsletter: HoliSoils project annual meeting and EFI policy briefs
EFIMED is the Mediterranean Facility of the European Forest Institute. Based in Barcelona, Spain, it was launched in 2007.