Geospatial Forestry Laboratory performs research, develop, and apply geospatial technology focused on forest management

Geospatial Forestry Laboratory (GFL) was established in 2015 as an informal part of the National Forest Centre. Specifically, GFL represents a network group that connects specialists from the academic and private spheres based on specific project activities. The main goal related to this is to perform research, develop, and apply geospatial technology focused on forest management.

There are the following key GFL activities:

• Activity A1: Mobile laser scanning

The standard output is a LiDAR point cloud with an average 1000 pts/m2 density or better. Digital twins of forest stands allow forest inventory at the tree and stand levels.

• Activity 2: Relief digitisation

The standard output is a printed or digital map of terrain, surface, slope, and aspect with a resolution of 50 cm or better. Digital elevation models allow local, regional, and national geospatial analyses (e.g., development, hydrology, land use).

• Activity 3: Forest Mapping

The standard output is a printed or digital map of buildings, road networks, and vegetation with a resolution of 50 cm or better. Mapped objects can be classified according to quantitative attributes (e.g., height, area) and divided into height classes (m) or area classes (m2).

• Activity 4: Forest Inventory

The standard output is a printed or digital map of forest resources that contains data at the tree, cell or stand level (e.g., number of trees, tree height, tree diameter, tree volume, mean cell/stand height, mean cell/stand diameter, total volume of cells/stands, transportation distance of cells/stands).

• Activity 5: Results application

The standard output links scientific publications and a web-map service that provides all geospatial outputs via the Internet. To access all relevant information, the user only needs common skills, infrastructure, and an active data service.

There are the following critical GFL infrastructures:

• Mobile laser scanner: LiBackpack DGC50 – Equipment represents mobile SLAM LiDAR scanning system at backpack platform.
• Workstation: HP Z6 G4 – Equipment represents mobile SLAM LiDAR scanning system at backpack platform.
• Software: Trimble INPHO, ArcGIS Pro, Statistica, L360. The Equipment represents a mobile SLAM LiDAR scanning system on a backpack platform.