Few regions have seen such rapid and extensive transformation as Borneo. Most remaining forests in the region have been selectively logged, radically altering forest composition and structure. A combination of land‐use intensification and climate change are altering local and regional environmental conditions. We used a tripod-mounted laser scanning device to investigate how different logging intensities affect forest canopy structure across the SAFE project landscape, one of the largest ecological experiments in the world. We also investigated how climatic variations (i.e. precipitation, temperature) interact with changes in the canopy due to logging when altering the microclimatic conditions (soil humidity, understory temperature).
In 2019, the TreeD lab conducted an exciting field work campaign at the "Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project" (PDBFF), in the Brazilian Amazon. During this campaign, we collected laser scanning data along seven transects to create high-resolution 3D models of the forest. Alongside, we installed hundreds of sensors which will continuously monitor temperature and soil humidity. These data will allow us to investigate edge effects from an unprecedented perspective, opening the path to unveiling timely knowledge on how humans are affecting forest environments, and what can be done to mitigate these impacts.
Watch the video to understand our sampling design in the Amazon.