Forestry Survey & Forest Resource Mapping
Services
Service Overview
RST Ltd. provides forestry survey and forest resource mapping services, using UAV LiDAR laser to penetrate the canopy and simultaneously obtain the true understory ground elevation (DEM) and the canopy surface (DSM), from which tree height and canopy structure are estimated as the basis for stand volume and forest resource assessment. Our clients include agencies such as the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency.
Applicable Scenarios
- Forest resource inventory and stand volume estimation
- Watershed and protection forest management
- Monitoring of forest change and collapse scars
- Support for carbon sink estimation and ecological surveys
Monitoring Methods
- Technologies used: UAV LiDAR scanning (vegetation penetration)
- Deliverables: understory DEM, canopy DSM, Canopy Height Model (CHM), tree height, and canopy structure
- Accuracy specifications: LiDAR scanning accuracy can reach 2 cm, with continuous high-density sampling over large areas
- Data formats: can be exported in standard GIS formats and integrated into existing geographic information and management systems
Comparison with Other Methods
| Item | UAV LiDAR | Aerial imagery | Manual plot survey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Understory terrain | Can obtain | Limited | Point locations |
| Tree height / canopy | Continuous, area-based | Limited | Sampling |
| Large-area efficiency | High | High | Low |
| Best for | Forest and resource mapping | Orthophotos | Local verification |
Representative Cases
Our services cover numerous forestry and forest resource mapping projects.
Service Process
- Scope planning — confirm the survey area and deliverables
- LiDAR aerial survey — plan flight routes and operations
- Data processing — point cloud classification, ground filtering, and CHM production
- Delivery — forest resource maps and analysis reports
Get in Touch
Need a forestry survey or forest resource mapping? Feel free to contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a forestry survey obtain understory terrain and tree height?
We use UAV LiDAR laser to penetrate the canopy and simultaneously obtain the true understory ground elevation (DEM) and the canopy surface (DSM); subtracting one from the other yields estimates of tree height and canopy structure as the basis for stand volume and resource assessment.
What advantages does LiDAR forestry survey have over traditional manual surveys?
Compared with manual plot surveys, LiDAR can obtain continuous 3D forest data over large areas at high density, with high efficiency and repeatable comparison, making it suitable for wide-area forest resource inventory and long-term change monitoring.
Which agencies can the results be applied to?
The results are commonly applied to forestry and nature conservation, watershed and protection forest management, and carbon sink estimation. They can be exported in standard GIS formats and integrated into existing geographic information and management systems.