New paper by Wout Cherlet & @qforestlab.bsky.social team led by @kimcalders.bsky.social, comparing tree extraction methods from TLS data. TL;DR it's hard to automate, ecosystem dependent & parametric approaches currently outperform DL www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The most well-know use-case of optical fibres is internet.
We show that it actually allows us to measure microclimate temperatures at the ultra-high resolution of 25 cm! Since these fibres can be very long, up to 30 km (!), this novel means of environmental monitoring seems super promising.
Our new perspective on what TLS can (& can't) do in forest research www.nature.com/articles/s41... - led by Eduardo Maeda w lots of great colleagues including @kimcalders.bsky.social @emilyrlines.bsky.social @louiseterryn.bsky.social @benjaminbrede.bsky.social (apols for any I don;t have @ for)
I like big trees and I cannot lie. Great bit of work by @kimcalders.bsky.social @louiseterryn.bsky.social and colleagues using innovative climbing and scanning approach. Stunning illustration of tree structural and biodiversity complexity zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
This image features part of Bolivia. This vibrant image was created using the radar instrument’s different polarisation channels, with each colour revealing distinct characteristics of the landscape. For instance, green hues mainly represent rainforest, red hues forested floodplains and wetlands, and blue–purple is indicative of grasslands, while black areas are rivers and lakes. The image spans approximately 90 km along the Biomass satellite's flight path (length) and 60 km across in width, with north oriented to the right.
🆕 The first stunning images from our groundbreaking #Biomass satellite mission have been released – they mark a major leap forward in our ability to understand how Earth’s forests are changing and exactly how they contribute to the global carbon cycle 🌳🌍
www.esa.int/Applications...
Our new perspective on the use (& misuse) of what we're calling virtual forests (rather than digital twins!), for forest change from space, led by @kimcalders.bsky.social w many great colleagues 🔭 🧪🔬 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Job Alert!
We are hiring a new PhD candidate to work with me and @louiseterryn.bsky.social on multitemporal terrestrial laser scanning for better understanding forest structural dynamics at @qforestlab.bsky.social .
More info ➡️ bit.ly/449NunA
Apply here ➡️ bit.ly/3I5AnMP
Application deadline: Aug 3
This is also the last field campaign as part of @erc.europa.eu SPACETWIN. Excellent work by our @qforestlab.bsky.social field team Zane Cooper, Wout Cherlet and Wouter Van den Broeck. [4/4]
We have been using terrestrial laser scanning to acquire baseline structural data of trees within these dynamic forests. We will be back in the future to see how these forests have changed structurally over time. [3/4]
This new permanent plot network is led by @westsyduhie.bsky.social Brendan Choat. The plot network will incorporate cutting-edge sensor technologies that allow for real-time ecological monitoring of fauna and flora (more info ➡️ bit.ly/43YfdI0). [2/4]
Our campaign in the Blue Mountains is coming to an end. Since late April, we have been scanning several plots covering different vegetation types (33 done currently) within the Blue Mountains Hub for Ecology & Conservation. [1/4]
Sensors, scientists and sunshine. Thanks for the great Strucnet vegetation structural dynamics meeting @kimcalders.bsky.social.
Strucnet meeting organised by @kimcalders.bsky.social very much fun!
Ring 2 of the EucFACE experiment, May 2025. Trees have finally returned to good health after a string of extreme events
PhD students Wout and Zane from University of Ghent with TLS scanner at EucFACE
The #EucFACE canopy has finally recovered from the 19-20 drought and the 21-22 floods. Beautiful time for new Lidar scans! @westsyduhie.bsky.social @kimcalders.bsky.social
Job Alert - Come work with us at @qforestlab.bsky.social!
I'm hiring a postdoctoral fellow in vegetation remote sensing and radiative transfer to work on my @erc.europa.eu SPACETWIN project (spacetwin.ugent.be).
More info ➡️ www.ugent.be/en/work/scie...
Deadline: March 7
Later this month, we will move to sector Jeinimeni, where there is currently a large outbreak ongoing – completely defoliating trees. Video from earlier this week [4/4]
We are collecting terrestrial laser scanning data, spectral measurements of leaves, bark and understory and multispectral drone data. Not too much is known about these forests and these field measurements will result into a better understanding of these ecosystems. [3/4]
We are setting up 6 new permanent plots in the El Furioso sector of the National Park, supported by CONAF. These sites had different impacts of caterpillar disturbance over the last decade. [2/4]
We are currently in Patagonia for our @ercresearch.bsky.social project #SPACETWIN, looking at the impact of caterpillar (Ormiscodes amphimone) disturbance on the Nothofagus forests. This is a @qforestlab.bsky.social collaboration with the team of Roberto O. Chávez from PUCV in Valparaíso [1/4]
@qforestlab.bsky.social There are so many leaf-wood separation algorithms, don't know how to choose?
Our latest work (from @qforestlab.bsky.social ) has addressed this issue by providing a robust evaluation framework. Interested? please check our paper: authors.elsevier.com/a/1kKNW7qzT3...
The TFE has been running since 2001. With the roof being taken off now, it becomes a recovery experiment. In collaboration with the University of Edinburgh (UK) and The Universidade Federal de Para & Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi (Brazil). [2/2]
Wouter & Wout from @qforestlab.bsky.social are currently collecting TLS data at the Caxiuanã through-fall exclusion (TFE) experiment for our #ERC SPACETWIN working with our Brazilian collaborators and Patrick Meir. Continuing the TLS time-series that was initiated by @matdisney.bsky.social [1/2]
Important finding for impact modelers by @kornhuber.bsky.social et al.: Climatic extremes change faster/ more severely than anticipated by climate models. The consequences anticipated with impact models (based on climate model-driven forcings) might thus be conservative. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Check out our database of 30+ ancient oaks 🌳 captured with #LiDAR
For the tree 😍: sketchfab.com/SCATTER.project
For the tree 🧑🔬: doi.org/10.5281/zenodo…
Funded by the Woodland Trust. With support from the Ancient Tree Forum.
The first month of our field campaign in the Queensland Permanent Rainforest Plots (@QPRPaus - ) has been a success with 6 plots already completed and 10 more to go in the coming weeks! [1/5]
It was great having Maurice Leponce give a guest lecture in our BSc course on Ecology, covering Tropical forest biodiversity: large-scale inventories, canopy access, and the role of natural history museums.
Great inspiration for our students!
Experimental work on nondestructive monitoring of the dielectric permittivity dynamics of trees for @ERC_Research SPACETWIN with the installation of 2 wood penetrating radars.
In collaboration with François Demontoux & Ludovic Villard.
Lathamus Keep, a Tasmanian giant Eucalyptus globulus (+80 m tall) in the Huon Valley scanned by terrestrial and canopy laser scanning.
At 8 m high, it’s diameter is still an astonishing 3 m!
View it in 3D here:
w. @TerraLuma @l_hambrecht @BarbaraDhont
Vacancy!
Join our team as a postdoctoral fellow (2yr position) on our newly funded @FWOVlaanderen project with @LouiseTerrynn and @shaunlevick!
Info:
Apply by Feb 9:
What a great two weeks in Tasmania with @TerraLuma and @l_hambrecht mapping giant and old trees for @ERC_Research SPACETWIN. We managed to scan 10 giants (with some well over >80m in height).
