If you can see the sky from the forest floor, then some of the lidar energy will reach the ground and record the ground shape, allowing us to map the terrain 'beneath' the tree canopy. Hover over the image below to see the Digital Surface Model where trees have been removed to reveal topographic details below the tree canopy. Comparing tree canopy and ground surface also enables the study of changes in 'bio-mass'.

Work in forests - development and route planning within foliated areas. Airborne laser scanning can map the terrain 'beneath' the tree canopy. Comparing tree canopy and ground surface also enables the study of changes in 'bio-mass'. We have developed our own software solution that automates the extraction of ground points from the LiDAR data. Click here to learn more about ecological surveys using a terrestrial laser scanner to map biotope boundaries and geomorphological changes.

The image (right) shows how some of the laser energy has reached the ground, in Scotland this enabled us to model the ground surface under the tree canopy and we could identify drainage features and other important topographical features. LiDAR mapping facilitates 3-D analysis of forest structural elements such as crown density, crown volume, stand height, and tree density over large areas. From the LiDAR data, more complex forest characteristics can be studied, such as basal area, forest biomass, forest volume, and leaf area index.