Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) characterizes the 3D structures of trees, thus can provide useful inputs (e.g., tree species, heights, crown sizes, biomass) for ecosystem understanding and for efficient forest management. New techniques are quickly emerging to collect LiDAR with better quality and capabilities. However, there are questions remaining unsolved regarding the successful application of LiDAR data and techniques to complex environments such as mediterrenean and mixed forest. The increased point density of discrete return LiDAR data or even full waveform LiDAR data introduce new challenges as well.
Our laboratory is involved in research activity related to:
+ quantification of forest natruale damages
+ prediction of forest inventories variables
+ mapping forest structures
Paper
- Gherardo Chirici, Francesca Bottalico, Francesca Giannetti, Barbara Del Perugia, Davide Travaglini, Susanna Nocentini, Erico Kutchartt, Enrico Marchi, Cristiano Foderi, Marco Fioravanti, Lorenzo Fattorini, Lorenzo Bottai, Ronald E. McRoberts, Erik Næsset Piermaria Corona, Bernardo Gozzini (2018). Assessing forest windthrow damage using single-date, post-event airborne laser scanning data. Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research, 91, 27-37. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpx029
- Bottalico, Francesca; Chirici, Gherardo; Giannini, Raffaello; Mele, Salvatore; Mura, Matteo; Puxeddu, Michele; Mcroberts, Ronald E.; Valbuena, Ruben; Travaglini, Davide (2017). Modeling Mediterranean forest structure using airborne laserscanning data. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED EARTH OBSERVATION AND GEOINFORMATION, vol. 57, pp. 145-153, ISSN:1872-826X doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.JAG.2016.12.013
- Mura, Matteo; Mcroberts, Ronald E; Chirici, Gherardo; Marchetti, Marco (2016). Statistical inference for forest structural diversity indices using airborne laser scanning data and the k-Nearest Neighbors technique. REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT, vol. 186, pp. 678-686, ISSN:0034-4257 doi : http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.RSE.2016.09.010
- Chirici, Gherardo; Mcroberts, Ronald E.; Fattorini, Lorenzo; Mura, Matteo; Marchetti, Marco (2016). Comparing echo-based and canopy height model-based metrics for enhancing estimation of forest aboveground biomass in a model-assisted framework. REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT, vol. 174, pp. 1-9, ISSN:0034-4257 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.RSE.2015.11.010
- Moser, Paolo; Vibrans, Alexander C.; Mcroberts, Ronald E.; Næsset, Erik; Gobakken, Terje; Chirici, Gherardo; Mura, Matteo; Marchetti, Marco (2016). Methods for variable selection in LiDAR-assisted forest inventories. FORESTRY, pp. 112-124, ISSN:0015-752X doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/FORESTRY/CPW041
- Mura, Matteo; Mcroberts, Ronald E.; Chirici, Gherardo; Marchetti, Marco (2015). Estimating and mapping forest structural diversity using airborne laser scanning data. REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT, vol. 170, pp. 133-142, ISSN:0034-4257 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.RSE.2015.09.016
Master Thesis
- D’Amico Giovanni (2017). A spatially-explicit method to assess the growing stock volume in coastal pine forests (Pinus pinea L.) in Tuscany using laser scanning data.
Supervisors: Gherardo Chirici, Davide Travaglini
English abstract available on-line - Grotti Mirko (2017). Impiego di dati Airborne Laser Scanning per la stima della provvigione legnosa e delle categorie assortimentali: il caso di studio del complesso forestale di Rincine (FI).
Supervisors: Gherardo Chirici, Nicola Puletti
English abstract available on-line
Italian Full text available on-line