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Project Code [LIFOR]

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Project title

LiDAR Integrated FORecasting

Primary Funding Agency

Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

University College Dublin (UCD)

Lead Applicant

n/a

Project Abstract

A timber supply forecast is compiled for Ireland on what is routinely becoming a 5?year basis. In brief,?the forecasts provide an indication of the potential roundwood production over the following 20 years.?This is valuable information to the wood processing industry, timber growers and policy makers. These?groups help maximise the production benefits from forestry in a sustainable way. Compiling an?accurate picture of timber availability is challenging, and our knowledge of the current state of private?forests and how fast they are growing has significant limitations.?This proposal outlines a framework to utilise aerial LiDAR to improve productivity estimates both in?terms of growth rates and productive forest area. Processing LiDAR information can determine the?average canopy height of a stand, delineate areas of stands based on canopy height and identify top?height, i.e. an important indicator to estimate stand yield class. Aerial LiDAR can also identify openspace,?roads, extraction paths and other features within forests, which can provide a more accurate?estimate of a stand�s productive area than the 17.5% � 20% reduction assumed in the 2016?2035?forecast.?This aerial LiDAR?based assessment will undergo a ground truthing process through manual inventory?carried out by a research Masters student. This will include a range of species types and there will be?sufficient sample estimates to ensure that productivity can be estimated for a wide range of species.?There will be a range of processing techniques investigated and each will be compared and the?benefits/drawbacks will be assessed. The main outcomes will be a comparison these productivity?estimation methods, both for the status of a forest and for forecasting outputs using the model used?to generate the private aspect of the 2016 � 2035 forecast.?

Grant Approved

�199,978.00

Research Hub

n/a

Research Theme

Ireland's Future Climate, its Impacts, and Adaptation Options

Start Date

01/06/2018

Initial Projected Completion Date

31/05/2020