LiDAR as a Valuable Information Source for Habitat Mapping. GI_Forum 2013 – Creating the GISociety|

Key is the challenge to develop a biodiversity observation system that is transmissible and cost effective. Measuring and reliable reporting of trends and changes in biodiversity requires that data and indicators are collected and analysed in a standard and comparable way. LiDAR is an alternative remote sensing technology that allows to increase the accuracy of biophysical measurements and to extend spatial analysis into the third dimension. The BIO_SOS project shows alternatives to measure habitat diversity as a proxy for biodiversity on the basis of plant life forms. The objective of our study is to assess to what extent LiDAR can be used to map and monitor plant life forms and associated General Habitat Categories (GHCs). The conclusions are that LiDAR provides accurate height measurements on shrubs and trees, even in early spring when no leaves are present. Canopy height models as derived from LiDAR and in combination with very high resolution satellite imagery provides a powerful tool with for the identification of plant life forms and as a direct input for spatial modelling of species distribution. Since LiDAR data are not everywhere available, finding alternatives for height feature extraction from optical imagery for might be worthwhile