The terrestrial laser scanning revolution in forest ecology

Danson, FM; Disney, MI; Gaulton, R; Schaaf, C; Strahler, A

Abstract

New laser scanning technologies are set to revolutionize the way in which we measure and understand changes in ecosystem structure and function. Forest ecosystems present a particular challenge because of their scale, complexity and structural dynamics. Traditional forestry techniques rely on manual measurement of easy-to-measure characteristics such as tree girth and height, along with time-consuming, logistically difficult and error-prone destructive sampling. Much more detailed and accurate three-dimensional measurements of forest structure and composition are key to reducing errors in biomass estimates and carbon dynamics and to better understanding the role of forests in global ecosystem and climate change processes. Terrestrial laser scanners are now starting to be deployed in forest ecology research and, at the same time, new terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) technologies are being developed to enhance and extend the range of measurements that can be made. These new TLS measurements provide a tantalizing glimpse of a completely new way to measure and understand forest structure. It is therefore a good time to take stock, assess the state of the art and identify the immediate challenges for continued development of TLS in forest ecology.

Citation

Danson, F., Disney, M., Gaulton, R., Schaaf, C., & Strahler, A. (2018). The terrestrial laser scanning revolution in forest ecology. Interface Focus, 8(2), 20180001. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2018.0001

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 3, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Feb 16, 2018
• Publication Date: Feb 16, 2018
• Deposit Date: Dec 9, 2019
• Journal: Interface Focus
• Publisher: The Royal Society
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 20180001
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2018.0001
• Keywords: Biotechnology, Biophysics, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Biomaterials, Biomedical Engineering
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2018.0001
• Related Public URLs: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsfs
• Additional Information: Additional Information : ** From Crossref via Jisc Publications Router **Journal IDs: pissn 2042-8898; eissn 2042-8901 **History: published 06-04-2018; issued 16-02-2018; published_online 16-02-2018