UK: 3D Laser Mapping’s laser scanner is helping scientists at University College, London, accurately monitor and record the state of forests around the world. The college’s Riegl VZ-400, already deployed in the UK, Australia and Africa, is being used to help characterise the state of trees, predominantly how much carbon they are storing.
“By monitoring how much carbon our trees are storing and how this is changing in response to climate and man made threats such as agriculture, forest and bush fires, logging, etc, we can contribute valuable inputs to further our understanding of the carbon cycle. Having worked with a number of other instruments over the years we already knew the accuracy, range and wavelength requirements needed when working in forests and that the VZ-400 from 3D Laser Mapping performed in all these areas,” said Dr Mathias Disney, Senior Lecturer in Remote Sensing at University College London.
According to a spokesperson from the company, the laser scanner is being used to capture highly detailed measurements recording the 3D structure of individual trees in large forest areas. By using the VZ-400 researchers can estimate the stored carbon to within a few percent accuracy; measurements that otherwise would have to be made manually by cutting and weighing trees. Data recorded using the VZ-400 is also being used to build highly detailed models that can be used to help further understand satellite and airborne data – also important tools in these areas of research.
Source: 3D laser mapping
