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Remote Sensing & GIS / Feed

Every day, mapping and spatial analysis are aiding conservation decisions, protected areas designation, habitat management on reserves and monitoring of wildlife populations, to name but a few examples. If you are excited by the ways in which GIS is used in conservation, this is the group for you!

event

1st Wildlife Scientific Conference 2023

Esther Githinji

25 September 2023 11:10am

Don't miss the Wildlife Research & Training Institute (WRTI) 1st Wildlife Scientific Conference to be held in Naivasha, Kenya, under the theme: “Use of Wildlife Science for enhanced Biodiversity Conservation and...

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Remote Sensing | Free Full-Text | Estimation of Forest LAI Using Discrete Airborne LiDAR: A Review

Stephanie O'Donnell

5 September 2023 11:57am

📢 New Paper: Estimation of Forest LAI Using Discrete Airborne LiDAR: A Review by Luo Tian, Yonghua Qu and Jianbo Qi

👉 Read the full article: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/12/2408

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Estimation of Forest LAI Using Discrete Airborne LiDAR: A Review

The leaf area index (LAI) is an essential input parameter for quantitatively studying the energy and mass balance in soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer systems. As an active remote sensing technology, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) provides a new method to describe forest canopy LAI. This paper reviewed the primary LAI retrieval methods using point cloud data (PCD) obtained by discrete airborne LiDAR scanner (DALS), its validation scheme, and its limitations. There are two types of LAI retrieval methods based on DALS PCD, i.e., the empirical regression and the gap fraction (GF) model. In the empirical model, tree height-related variables, LiDAR penetration indexes (LPIs), and canopy cover are the most widely used proxy variables. The height-related proxies are used most frequently; however, the LPIs proved the most efficient proxy. The GF model based on the Beer-Lambert law has been proven useful to estimate LAI; however, the suitability of LPIs is site-, tree species-, and LiDAR system-dependent. In the local validation in previous studies, poor scalability of both empirical and GF models in time, space, and across different DALS systems was observed, which means that field measurements are still needed to calibrate both types of models. The method to correct the impact from the clumping effect and woody material using DALS PCD and the saturation effect for both empirical and GF models still needs further exploration. Of most importance, further work is desired to emphasize assessing the transferability of published methods to new geographic contexts, different DALS sensors, and survey characteristics, based on figuring out the influence of each factor on the LAI retrieval process using DALS PCD. In addition, from a methodological perspective, taking advantage of DALS PCD in characterizing the 3D structure of the canopy, making full use of the ability of machine learning methods in the fusion of multisource data, developing a spatiotemporal scalable model of canopy structure parameters including LAI, and using multisource and heterogeneous data are promising areas of research.

MDPI
careers

Senior Spatial Ecologist

The Charles Darwin Foundation

24 August 2023 11:22pm

The Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands (CDF) is recruiting a Senior Spatial Ecologist to join our shark research team and strengthen the ongoing long-term research on shark population ecology and...

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Born Free Uses Smart Maps to Save Lions, Solve Human-Wildlife Conflict

Esther Githinji

17 August 2023 2:35pm

Location intelligence helps Born Free Kenya understand where communities and lions are in conflict. Outreach to fortify cattle corrals is guided by smart maps and spatial analysis.

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article

Conservation StoryMap competition

Adrian Hughes

17 July 2023 12:52pm

ESRI and IUCN have teamed up to launch a StoryMap competition. Storytellers are invited to share stories on a range of conservation topics including technological innovation, ecological corridors and initiatives by...

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