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NATURNAER-Natur og næring

Assessing wood properties of forest resources by airborne LiDAR

Awarded: NOK 1.2 mill.

Project Manager:

Project Number:

173911

Project Period:

2006 - 2010

Funding received from:

Partner countries:

In order to meet the market demands we have to better communicate the different raw material properties along the forestry-wood chain. Assessment of the forest resources by wood quality parameters is necessary to link the specific demands of raw materials to the supply from individual forest owners. Previous research has revealed that tree size (diameter) distribution and tree crown properties are suitable indicators of wood quality. We will use airborne LiDAR to estimate diameter distribution and tree cr own properties. The research will take place in a 90000 ha forest area in Aurskog-Høland, where the company Prevista will carry out a stand-based forest inventory for the local forest owners. This inventory will be based on a procedure where airborne LiDA R and field sample plots will be used to estimate conventional stand variables for all stands in the area. Additional tree crown measurements will be made on the plots. The methods to be developed will be used to compute diameter distributions and crown p roperties for every forest stand. A sample of 100 stands owned by local forest owners will be harvested, and stem diameters as recorded by the harvester along with crown measurements made in field will be used as ground validation of the developed methods . The estimation of the crown properties will be supported by a similar estimation based on crown measurements on >3,000 trees measured by the National Forest Inventory. Leading international scientists with expertise in airborne LiDAR and advanced method s for derivation of tree size distribution will assist in the work. If we succeed in upscaling the scientific methods to an operational context, considerable value will be added to the forest management plans. The forest sector will have a solid platform to communicate wood qualities along the forestry-wood chain, which will increase values along the entire chain. Prevista?s position as an international provider of LiDAR-based forest plans will be strengthened.

Funding scheme:

NATURNAER-Natur og næring