LiDAR

LiDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, is a method we have used to create 3D maps of our forest.

The entire research forest was flown with a fixed-wing plane outfitted with a LiDAR sensor in 2017.

These fine-scale data have been used extensively in numerous research and management projects.

A woman crouching on the ground with a drone, preparing it for flight outdoors near a lake, with trees, a pavilion, and a small building in the background.

Our LiDAR-equipped drone

In 2022, Tanizul Timber helped us purchase a large drone that can carry a LiDAR sensor. This purchase has allowed us to create extremely fine-scale point cloud data, to better understand wildlife habitat use and forest management.

Point cloud data

This is what the data collected from the LiDAR drone looks like: a series of thousands of points, forming a 3D model of the landscape. Here, you can see one of our recently harvested stands, the road surface, and individual trees.

Funding provided by

  • Stylized green pine tree with abstract, sharp lines

    Tanizul Timber

  • Seal of the John Prince Research Forest, featuring a mountain, a pine tree, and a bear, with surrounding text

    John Prince Research Forest