Detecting how forests respond to logging, storms, or fire—and ultimately measuring forest recovery and growth—is not an easy feat. Enter remote sensing technologies and forest monitoring science.
Researchers from the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University have received a new grant from the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station. The study will combine repeat collections of airborne LiDAR and photogrammetric point clouds from the National Agriculture Imagery Program with spectral data to measure forest growth and change over time.
Here is how this can help:
- Distinguish between disturbances and gradual regrowth for more accurate forest assessments.
- Characterize drivers of forest growth across environmental gradients.
- Validate techniques by linking remote sensing observations.
- Generate high-resolution models and maps to inform both scientific understanding and practical forest management decisions.
Looking to the future, the $142,000 investment will support a doctoral student, research assistance, and the development of new modeling approaches for mapping changes in forest structure.