DeepDigitalForest. Deepening and optimisation of multi-phase inventory and survey methods for forest digitization.

Associated persons Vanessa Berger, Hanns Kirchmeir, Tobias Köstl, Daniel Wuttej
Clients Austrian Research Promotion Agency (Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft (FFG))
Partners Umweltdata, Joanneum Research, Aeromap, Souveräner Malteser-Ritter-Orden Großpriorat für Österreich, Sebastian Pauli Geoinformatik
Regions Austria
Year 2019

In the research project DeepDigitalForest, funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), a workflow for the digitization of the forest is being developed in cooperation with the consortium partners. By obtaining very high resolution laser scanning data and aerial photographs, characteristic features of the forest such as individual tree features as well as structural parameters can be derived. The use of high-resolution remote sensing data leads to an increase in data plausibility, since the collection of some parameters is no longer dependent on the assessment of individuals. In addition to the recording of the forest as a point cloud, a further focus is the extension of the tablet application developed in previous projects, which integrates the recorded results into complex surveys such as habitat mapping and ecological monitoring. By digitising analogue forms, data can be collected directly in the field in a time-efficient way, additionally saving the need to enter data over the winter months. Moreover, an initial quality control of the data can take place directly in the field, which considerably reduces the amount of post-processing required.