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Forest Inventory: an automated process. Biosystems Departement M3-BIORES KULeuven Belgium. Challenges in forest inventory. Forest functionality Timber production Carbon sequestration Biomass production for bio-energy industry Biodiversity conservation
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Forest Inventory: an automated process BiosystemsDepartement M3-BIORES KULeuven Belgium
Challenges in forestinventory Forestfunctionality • Timberproduction • Carbon sequestration • Biomassproductionforbio-energyindustry • Biodiversityconservation Economic, Environmental and Socialfunctions Combining these goals into a sustainable management plan requires up-to-date and accurate informationon the state of the forest (forestinventory)
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Challenges in forestinventory Inventorytechniques • Traditional plot inventory • Tree caliper • diameter/girth tape • (3) Biltmore stick • (4) Suunto Hypsometer • (5) Abney Level
Challenges in forestinventory Inventorytechniques • Field map: improved data acquisitionwithhand-heldelectronicequipment. Partialautomatization and limitedquantitativedescription
Challenges in forestinventory Inventorytechniques • Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS): • As a non-invasivetechnique, TLS has the potential to provide a permanent spatial and objective record of foreststructurefromwhichsystematictree measurementscanbeextracted in anautomatedfashion FARO LMS8800
Max 80 m. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) Point and line sampling strategy Scan time ~ 8 min. Resolution ~ 40 millionmeasurements Fastredeployment
High resolution TLS - Digitization of forest structure - Structure characteristics are embedded in 3D point cloud - Specialized structure algorithms are needed to extract structure information Faro LMS8800
High resolution TLS - Digitization of forest structure - Structure characteristics are embedded in 3D point cloud - Specialized structure algorithms are needed to extract structure information Faro LMS8800
High resolution TLS • RESEARCH PHASE • Specialized structure algorithms are needed to extract structure information: • Stem Mapping • DBH, tree height, stem volume • Taper, stem quality • CrownDimensions • Species Composition • Biomassestimation Faro LMS8800
Inventory Parameters: dbh and height height Taper DBH (AdaptedfromBienert et al., 2006)
Inventory Parameters: stem quality (AdaptedfromThies et al., 2004)
Inventory Parameters Crowndelineation Stem mapping
Inventory Parameters Species recognition & Biomassestimation
Inventory Methods Reduceinventorycost up to 75% as a result of increasedmeasurement speed and automatization
IWT funding • ‘Agentschap voor Innovatie door Wetenschap en Technologie’ • Agencyfrom the Flemishgoverment to bridge the gap betweenresearch sector and industry sector Research Product development Commercial application
IWT funding • Different types of funding (projects – scholarships) • ‘Onderzoeksmandaat’ (OZM type 3) • Personalpost-docscholarship • Valorisation of research results to enable the start up of a commercial application • 2 yearsalaryfordevelopmentphase • No budget for hardware investment • Direct cooperationwithindustry partner obligatory
IWT project objectives • Development of software package (preprocessing – structurealgorithms) to extract inventoryinformation in an accurate and automatedfashionfrom the TLS data sets. • Testing of different line- and point sampling schemesusingvirtualforestscenes and raytracingtechniques. • Investigating the calibrationpotential of TLS data foraerial data (i.e. airborne laser scanning, spectralimagery). • Design of dynamicmeasurement platform whichallowsfast and easy deployment of the laser scanner.
Commercial applications • High precisionforest management (consultancy agencies, forestrycompanies, governementalinstitutions) • Support forRemotesensingcompanies (calibration of airbornesurveys of largeforested areas) • Support forrenewableenergyindustry (non-destructiveestimation of standing woodbiomassforwoodchipsindustry)
IWT points of attention • Valorisation of research results • Innovativetechnologyused to built commercial application • CooperationbetweenUniversity and industryparnter • Commercial potential ? - marketstudy - Potential of creating a KUL spin off: Extra fundingneeded to developfunctional TLS module OK OK OK