A digital twin for forests with the help of new technology

This technique, referred to as Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), opens up new opportunities in measuring forest structure, monitoring disturbances and simulating ecosystems. 

“TLS provides us with a new way of looking at forests – not just from above, but from within. It helps us understand tree growth, forest responses to disturbances and the effects of forest structure on biodiversity and capacity for recovery,” says Associate Professor from the University of Helsinki. 

Maeda notes that a deeper understanding helps researchers, decision-makers and communities to make increasingly justified decisions – and, ultimately, to better reconcile human activity with the environment.

The (Tree-D Lab), headed by Associate Professor Maeda, is a pioneer in the study of changes in the ecosystem. In addition to terrestrial laser scanning, the researchers utilise satellite data, sensors installed in drones and field measurements. In an article recently published in the , the group describes the potential of terrestrial laser scanning. 

The Tree-D Lab researchers have applied the TLS technique across the world in a range of ecosystems. In the tropics, such as Southeast Asia and the Amazon, laser scanning and machine learning have been used to assess the effects of forest fragmentation and logging. These investigations have revealed changes at the edges of clear-cut areas where the conditions are different from those in the middle of large forest areas. 

In her doctoral thesis entitled , Postdoctoral Researcher , who recently returned from the Amazon, focused on the boreal forests in Finland. She is now taking her studies to the global level. 

In Finland, research has provided new information on the effects of forest management on forest structure and growth, supporting increasingly sustainable practices and national forest monitoring.