Utilizing Terrestrial Laser Scanning to extract lianas in tropical forests.

Lianas are an important group of structural parasitic plants found in tropical forests across the globe. These parasitic plants use the trees to climb into the canopy, which they then come to dominate and overtake. The occupation of lianas in the canopy results in multiple negative effects for tree fecundity, survival, and carbon sequestration capabilities. As climate change continues, it has been noted that liana abundance has increased. Therefore, it is imperative to understand how lianas influence the three dimensional structure in which they occupy. An emerging technique and piece of equipment called a Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) which utilizes Light Ranging and Detection (LiDAR) technology allows one to start to map their environment in three dimensions. Essentially, a TLS emits thousands of lasers into the area of interest, and based off of the time it takes for that laser to return to the TLS it can start to formulate an image of its surroundings. When multiple positions are used, this can turn into a three dimensional image. “TO BE CONT’D”

Faculty Supervisor:

Gerardo Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa

Student:

Partner:

Ghent University

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Alberta

Program: