DOCSLIB.ORG

Draft Bifor 2017 Annual Report

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Draft Bifor 2017 Annual Report I will look at the woody carbon dynamics of the trees at the BiFoR FACE and eucFACE experiments. A better understanding of the fate of carbon through increased photosynthetic activity and more insight in the response of complete forest stands to elevated CO2 levels will help increase the accuracy of future carbon budget models. This project will explore the use fieldwork data of different woody compartments to determine turnover rate and chemical composition changes in two different ecosystems exposed to elevated CO2 levels.” appendix 6 BIRMINGHAM INSTITUTE OF FOREST RESEARCH (BIFoR) HOLD page for photo dependant on report length and print Annual Report 2020 Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 3 BIFoR Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) ............................................................... 5 Research Collaborators at BIFoR FACE ............................................................................................................. 9 Forest Health Research ......................................................................................................... 10 Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions, Dr Tom Pugh ................................................................ 12 Education ............................................................................................................................... 14 Leverhulme Trust, Forest Edge Doctoral Scholarship Programme ................................................................... 15 New doctoral research ....................................................................................................................................... 16 Continuing doctoral research ............................................................................................................................. 17 Strategic Stakeholder Engagement ....................................................................................... 19 Outputs .................................................................................................................................. 20 Funding .................................................................................................................................. 21 Going Forward ....................................................................................................................... 22 Appendix 1: People ................................................................................................................ 23 Appendix 2: BIFoR Presence at Sectoral Conferences and Workshops ................................ 28 Appendix 3: BIFoR Stakeholder engagement ........................................................................ 30 Appendix 4: BIFoR Papers and other literature/ communications 2020 ................................. 31 Papers ................................................................................................................................................................ 31 Papers by Director Prof. Nicola Spence ............................................................................................................ 34 Other literature, radio, television and social media............................................................................................ 34 Responses to Government Consultations ......................................................................................................... 35 Appendix 5: Funding .............................................................................................................. 36 Photo credits: Cover image- Oak tree which is experiencing the atmosphere in one of the BIFoR FACE arrays (see page 5); photo credit University of Birmingham For all images not mentioned explicitly below, assume the photo credit should be University of Birmingham. Page 13: Bark beetles strike in the foothills of the German Alps by Dr Tom Pugh 2 Introduction After an unprecedented year for science, the Dr Florian Busch arrived as a new lecturer seventh year of BIFoR operations was still one studying theoretical and experimental plant to remember. Despite all the challenges physiology, particularly with a focus on brought by COVID and accompanying photosynthesis. Strengthening our work in restrictions, our fantastic team running the ecology, Dr Laura Graham joined in 2020, with linchpin FACE experiment kept the show on her focus on how climate and land-use change the road, with carbon dioxide enrichment of impacts global ecosystems and human well- trees starting and ending on schedule. After being. Dr Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert has implementing strict biosecurity and safety been appointed to a lectureship to study how measures, the team were able to global forests are impacted and change accommodate some researchers onto the site according to climate change. We also welcome to ensure experiments progressed. We have Dr Susanne Suvanto joining on a 2-year Marie also seen an increase in applications to include Curie fellowship (ForMMI). We also pay a huge the site in grant applications and to study data welcome to key personnel working on: the emanating from the experiment. Indeed, we QUINTUS project, Angeliki Kourmouli (Senior are delighted to have been recognised by UK Research Technician), Robert Grzesik Research and Innovation (UKRI) and use of (Research Technician) James Gore (Research the facility can be costed into National Technician); the FACE Underground project, Research Council (NERC) grant applications. Michaela Reay (Postdoctoral Fellow); Hannah The four years of data being obtained from the Martin (Research Technician), the FACE experiment are also starting to reveal the technical team, Thomas Downes (FACE impacts of elevated CO2 on trees and their Apprentice Engineer). Seven new PhD ecosystem, so the coming six years of students joined BIFoR in 2020, working on a operation, underpinned by a further £5M wide range of interdisciplinary projects (see donation from JABBS and £6.3M from the page 16). 2020 also marked the completion of University, will be fascinating, to see just how the first cohort of Doctoral Researchers from impactful higher atmospheric CO2 will be on the initial BIFoR FACE PhD projects as well as trees and forests. the first major papers to emerge from the FACE experiment. Their research is now out for peer- As with any science institute, its staff and review ahead of publication. students are the key to its success and there has been substantial investment to enhance There were several major activities in 2020 that the science base of BIFoR. The BIFoR Chair in have effects on the plant and forestry sector: Tree Pathology, Prof. Rob Jackson, started in the Future of UK Treescapes Funding call, the January 2020. He was joined in September by UKRI/BBSRC Plant Sciences Strategy, Dr Mojgan Rabiey, working on a new project English Tree Strategy consultation, the Science in collaboration with the National Institute of and innovation strategy for forestry in Great Agricultural Botany (NIAB) to study bacterial Britain, EUExit. pathogen evolution in cherry trees. He is also currently recruiting eight new staff and PhD Members of BIFoR have been able to students to work on a range of tree disease contribute to all these initiatives. Notably, questions. Dr Megan McDonald is a new BIFoR colleagues contributed to a POSTNote Birmingham Fellow and will work on fungal on Reforestation and submitted the first pathogens of plants to study their genomes position piece to the parliamentary enquiry into and evolution of virulence. tree planting and woodlands in November 3 2020, thus demonstrating our commitment to Congratulations to Dr Sami Ullah who was ensuring a strong institute voice reflecting our appointed to the Nutrient Management Expert science discoveries. Group at DEFRA. We also celebrated Deanne Brettle, winning the March 2020 Life and Given the new arrival of staff, and a natural Environmental Sciences Excellence Reward evolution of the institute, there have been and Recognition Scheme. Deanne has been several changes in governance. In January central to running the Institute, managing 2020, the new Advisory Group (external meetings, supporting BIFoR Management members) had their first meeting, stimulating Group colleagues and the wider institute staff excellent discussions on past activities and and students. future ideas and strategies. We have also established a new BIFoR Management Group We have also formulated our future plans for (BMG) consisting of the four Directors education and outreach activities. Although Professors Rob Jackson, Rob Mackenzie, COVID has stymied physical visits of schools to Jeremy Pritchard and Nicola Spence; the the FACE site, our new virtual tour has proven Science Committee, Dr Estrella Luna-Diez, to be a hit with teachers and school students. Professors Christine Foyer, Vincent Gauci We now aim to stimulate new activities that and Francis Pope; BIFoR Operations provide online resources for Schools, Colleges Manager, Dr Kris Hart; and BIFoR and Universities as well as wider stakeholder Administrator Deanne Brettle. The aim of groups. BMG is to enhance communications and management of a range of issues. The Science Overall, 2020 has been a key year in the Committee have also provided invaluable realisation of the founding vision for BIFoR: support to institute colleagues for managing publications and grant applications, including ‘BIFoR aims to be an internationally leading
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Initial Results from the First Year of the Permafrost Outreach Program, Yukon, Canada P.S
    Initial results from the first year of the Permafrost Outreach Program, Yukon, Canada P.S. Lipovsky and K. Yoshikawa Initial results from the first year of the Permafrost Outreach Program, Yukon, Canada Panya S. Lipovsky1 Yukon Geological Survey Kenji Yoshikawa2 University of Alaska Fairbanks Lipovsky, P.S. and Yoshikawa, K., 2009. Initial results from the first year of the Permafrost Outreach Program, Yukon, Canada. In: Yukon Exploration and Geology 2008, L.H. Weston, L.R. Blackburn and L.L. Lewis (eds.), Yukon Geological Survey, p. 161-172. ABSTRACT In 2007, a permafrost outreach program was initiated in Yukon, Canada by installing long-term permafrost monitoring stations near public schools in Whitehorse, Faro, Ross River, Dawson, Old Crow and Beaver Creek. Shallow boreholes were drilled near participating schools, and data loggers were installed to measure hourly air and ground temperatures at a variety of depths. Frost tubes were also installed in fall 2008 to start monitoring seasonal freezing and thawing trends in the active layer. School students are actively engaged with field data collection and interpretation of results posted on a central website. The program also provides baseline data that can be used to characterize local permafrost conditions and detect long-term changes. A snapshot of current permafrost conditions is provided for each monitoring station, based on the first year of data collection. RÉSUMÉ En 2007, un programme de sensibilisation au pergélisol a été lancé au Yukon en établissant des stations de surveillance à long terme du pergélisol près d’écoles publiques à Whitehorse, Faro, Ross River, Dawson, Old Crow et Beaver Creek.
    [Show full text]
  • Uk Plant Science Research Strategy a Green Roadmap for the Next Ten Years Contents
    UK PLANT SCIENCE RESEARCH STRATEGY A GREEN ROADMAP FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS CONTENTS Foreword . 1 Introduction . 3 Context . 4 Deliverables . .5 1 Securing. a Pipeline of Transformative Discoveries . 5 2 Strategic. Research to Solve Grand Challenges . .8 3 Innovation. 11 4 Diverse. People and Skills . .18 5 National. Infrastructure . 20 6 International. Landscape . .21 List of Recommendations . 23 Appendix 1: List of people consulted . .25 FOREWORD In many ways the idea of a national strategy I also held a workshop with twenty independent is counterintuitive – science is global and research fellows . I am extremely grateful to more than ever we need to be working across everyone who gave their time and thoughtful national boundaries to solve the enormous input during a very challenging period of environmental and societal challenges that we national lockdown . The issues we discussed face . However, to collaborate more effectively in revolved around what plant science research the international arena we first need increased can and should contribute to society, and what investment and better co-ordination across the mechanisms are needed to ensure effective UK . In April 2020, following discussions with delivery of those contributions . After the colleagues, I proposed a community-driven consultation, I distilled many pages of informal approach to develop a plant science research notes into a two page summary of the core strategy for the UK . I engaged with no personal messages that would underpin the strategy . In or professional agenda, no vested interest and the second phase, this summary was circulated an open mind1 . Melanie Welham, Executive to all consultees, with a request to consult more Chair of the UK Biotechnology and Biological widely within their local constituency and to Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part feedback any further comments .
    [Show full text]
  • An Inconvenient Truth: Transcript
    An Inconvenient Truth: Transcript From: http://forumpolitics.com/blogs/2007/03/17/an-inconvient-truth-transcript March 17, 2007 Introduction You look at that river gently flowing by. You notice the leaves rustling with the wind. You hear the birds; you hear the tree frogs. In the distance you hear a cow. You feel the grass. The mud gives a little bit on the river bank. It’s quiet; it’s peaceful. And all of a sudden, it’s a gear shift inside you. And it’s like taking a deep breath and going, “Oh yeah, I forgot about this.” Earth Rise This is the first picture of the Earth from space that any of us ever saw. It was taken on Christmas Eve 1968 during the Apollo 8 mission. More…In relatively comfortable boundaries… But we are filling up that thin shell of atmosphere with pollutants. I’m Al Gore. I used to be the next president of the United States. [ laughter and applause from audience ] I don’t find that particularly funny. I’ve been trying to tell this story for a long time and I feel as I’ve failed to get the message across. I was in politics for a long time. I’m proud of my services. (Mayor of New Orleans in background ). There are good people who are in politics who hold this at arm’s length because they acknowledge it and recognize it as a moral imperative to make big changes. And they lost radio contact when they went around to the dark side of the moon and there was inevitably some suspense.
    [Show full text]
  • High Risk of Permafrost Thaw
    High Risk of Permafrost Thaw E.A.G. Schuur1, B. Abbott2, C.D, Koven3, W.J. Riley3, Z.M. Subin3, et al. 1Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 2Institute of Arctic Biology at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 3Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (Koven, Riley, and Subin are partially supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and LBNL under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.) Frozen soils in the north are likely to release huge amounts of carbon in a warmer world, say Edward A.G. Schuur and the Vulnerability of Permafrost Carbon Research Coordination Network. In the Arctic, temperatures are rising fast, and permafrost is thawing. Carbon released to the atmosphere from permafrost soils could accelerate climate change, but the likely magnitude of this effect is still highly uncertain. A collective estimate made by a group of permafrost experts, including myself, is that carbon could be released more quickly than models currently suggest, and at levels that are cause for serious concern. Recent years have brought reports from the far north of tundra fires1, the release of ancient carbon2, methane bubbling out of lakes3, and gigantic stores of frozen soil carbon4. The newest estimate is that some 18.8 million km2 of northern soils hold about 1,700 billion tonnes of organic carbon – the remains of plants and animals that have been accumulating in soil over thousands of years. That’s about four times all the carbon ever emitted by human activity in modern times and twice as much as is currently found in the atmosphere.
    [Show full text]
  • Recommended by the Committee)
    Information (recommended by the committee) The sound placed in our presentation functions only in the Power Point application, not on the internet version. Forestry Climate Is a branch of the The Earth's climate is economy. 182 million ha shaped by numerous of European forests cover factors and processes. It is 44.7% of its area. It is determined on the basis one of the most of long-term weather important sources of observations for the renewable energy. Our region (at least 30 forests are very diverse in years). The earth's terms of type of trees, thermal imbalance is forest policy fauna and caused by natural and flora. human factors. Forestation in Europe In Europe, the largest forest area is in Russia; it amounts to around 809 million ha, which represents 79% of the total forest area in Europe. The largest forest cover is in northern Europe (53%) and Russia (49.4%), while the smallest is in South- Eastern Europe (23%). Numerous floods of coastal Forest fires Death of many species of flora areas and fauna Heat waves in Europe Problems in agriculture, Melting of glaciers forestry and tourism Threats of climate change Change in average temperature Diseases and insect infestations Economic problems Organisms have difficulty adapting to new environmental conditions Poor yields In the graphs below, we can easily see how CO2 emissions affect polar environments. Along with the huge increase in emissions of this harmful gas in 1960, the thickness of ice sheets began to decrease, which continues to this day. This often results in flooding of coastal cities and lowlands.
    [Show full text]
  • Science Update Issue 26 / Winter 2019
    United States Forest Department of Service Science Agriculture INSIDE Warming in the Cold North .................................................. 1 Ripples Far and Wide ............................................................ 8 Assessing Vulnerability ..........................................................11 Remote Sensing the Remote Forest .........................................12 Update Issue #26 / Winter 2019 Warming in the Cold North Unlocked doors in Utqia˙gvik he town of Utqiag˙vik, Alaska, has an unspoken The Arctic tundra is one of the Earth’s coldest and rule: always leave the outer door to your house harshest biomes. Ecologist Janet Prevéy experienced this in unlocked. Formerly known as Barrow, Utqiag˙vik person in 2015. “I was there in August and it was freezing. (pronouncedT oot-ghar-vik) is the northernmost commu- There are no trees for miles,” she said. “It’s a stark landscape nity in the United States, located 300 miles north of the with these really hardy little plants that don’t grow more Arctic Circle on the Arctic Ocean. It was renamed in 2016 than three inches off the ground.” to restore the town’s traditional Inupiaq name. Prevéy was collecting data on those plants, alongside Houses are built on pilings because the ground is per- two field technicians. They took advantage of the almost mafrost—permanently frozen. If a building sits directly perpetual daylight and worked until 7:00 or 8:00 at night, on the ground, its heat thaws the icy soil causing the kneeling for hours over tiny plants. They would pull nitrile structure to sink into soft mud. In the Alaskan Arctic, gloves over their regular winter gloves to try to keep their permafrost can be as cold as 14 °F (-10 °C) and up to hands dry because the cold so quickly numbed all feeling 2,000 feet thick.
    [Show full text]
  • The Story of Carbon Meet Philip Duffy Also in This Issue
    CanopyFALL 2014 The Story of Carbon Connecting land and climate Meet Philip Duffy Introducing the President-designate of Woods Hole Research Center Also in this Issue Beyond Zero Deforestation Conversation Between Scientists How Dynamic are Tropical Forests? Forgotten Feedbacks Restoring the Biosphere Science for the Future of the Earth Where We Work Scientists to Watch Canopy Annual Magazine Letter from the of the Acting President Woods Hole Research Center Contents First of all, I hope you’ll join me in welcoming our President-designate, Dr. Philip Duffy. This External Affairs of Woods Hole Research Center coming year, the Woods Hole Research Center Canopy magazine is published by the Office of (WHRC) in Falmouth, Massachusetts. WHRC will celebrate its 30th anniversary of making is an independent research institution where a difference in the world and Phil Duffy is the scientists investigate the causes and effects of climate change to identify opportunities right person to lead this institution into the for conservation, restoration and economic next 30 years. development around the globe. 1 From the Acting President 3 Staff / Board & Donor Spotlights WHRC is all about the Land-Climate Connection, and that connection is Acting President and Senior Scientist, largely about carbon. Carbon is the thread that runs through all of the 2 Board of Directors 24 Happenings Dr. Richard A. Houghton research at WHRC and the impacts that follow from our work. Carbon dioxide (CO ) is the major heat-trapping gas under human control. CO Director of External Affairs, Eunice Youmans 2 2 drives climate change. CO2 is released to the atmosphere as a result Graphic Designer, Julianne Waite of deforestation and cultivation.
    [Show full text]
  • Invasive Species
    House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee Invasive species First Report of Session 2019 Report, together with formal minutes relating to the report Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 15 October 2019 HC 88 Published on 25 October 2019 by authority of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee The Environmental Audit Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to consider to what extent the policies and programmes of government departments and non-departmental public bodies contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development; to audit their performance against such targets as may be set for them by Her Majesty’s Ministers; and to report thereon to the House. Current membership Mary Creagh MP (Labour, Wakefield) (Chair) Dr Thérèse Coffey MP (Conservative, Suffolk Coastal) Geraint Davies MP (Labour (Co-op), Swansea West) Mr Philip Dunne MP (Conservative, Ludlow) Zac Goldsmith MP (Conservative, Richmond Park) Mr Robert Goodwill MP (Conservative, Scarborough and Whitby) James Gray MP (Conservative, North Wiltshire) Ruth Jones MP (Labour, Newport West) Jeremy Lefroy MP (Conservative, Stafford) Caroline Lucas MP (Green Party, Brighton, Pavilion) Kerry McCarthy MP (Labour, Bristol East) Anna McMorrin MP (Labour, Cardiff North) John McNally MP (Scottish National Party, Falkirk) Dr Matthew Offord MP (Conservative, Hendon) Alex Sobel MP (Labour (Co-op), Leeds North West) Derek Thomas MP (Conservative, St Ives) Powers The constitution and powers are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152A. These are available on the internet via www.parliament.uk. Publications © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2019. This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament Licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/copyright.
    [Show full text]
  • January 27Th and 28Th 2021 Fifth Annual Bifor Community Meeting - a Focus on Pests, Diseases and Their Impacts Day One 27Th January 2021
    January 27th and 28th 2021 fifth annual BIFoR Community Meeting - a focus on pests, diseases and their impacts Day One 27th January 2021 12:00 Welcome – BIFoR Directors, Prof Rob Jackson and Prof Nicola Spence 12:10 Impact of pests, unravelling plant responses to aphids, Prof Christine Foyer, University of Birmingham 12:40 Bacterial canker in trees – How do we control them? Dr Mojgan Rabiey, University of Birmingham 12:55 Near complete genomes give new insight into old stories of horizontal gene transfer, Dr Megan McDonald, University of Birmingham 13:10 Tree diseases: wider ecological impacts and management implications, Dr Ruth Mitchell, James Hutton Institute, Action Oak 13:40 Comfort break 14:00 The effect of exposure to natural environment on well-being, Eszter Toth, University of Birmingham 14:15 Exploring land manager perceptions and preferences and the impact on designing treescapes for wider benefits, focusing on Natural Flood Management, Jenny Knight 14:30 Wooden hurdles and policy jams – a brief guide to forestry, Anthony Geddes, National Manager for Wales, Confor (Confederation of Forest Industries) 15:00 Poster session Our research team have prepared posters which will be available to read on our website. Some of the team will stay on the zoom call to answer any questions. There will also be the option to request a “side room” in an attempt to virtually replicate the useful networking underway during our annual meeting. 16:00 Annual meeting closes for the day Day Two 28th January 2021 09:00 Welcome – BIFoR Directors, Prof
    [Show full text]
  • High Risk of Permafrost Thaw Northern Soils Will Release Huge Amounts of Carbon in a Warmer World, Say Edward A
    .... Abrupt thaw, as seen here in Alaska's Noatak National Preserve, causes the land to collapse, accelerating permafrost degradation and carbon release. High risk of permafrost thaw Northern soils will release huge amounts of carbon in a warmer world, say Edward A. G. Schuur, Benjamin Abbott and the Permafrost Carbon Network. rctic temperatures are rising fast, largely because of the realization that organic greenhouse gas with about 25 times more and permafrost is thawing. Carbon carbon is stored much deeper in frozen soils warming potential than C02 over a 100-year A released into the atmosphere from than was thought. Inventories typically meas­ period. However, waterlogged environments permafrost soils will accelerate climate ure carbon in the top metre of soil. But the also tend to retain more carbon within the change, but the magnitude of this effect physical mixing during freeze-thaw cycles, in soil. It is not yet understood how these fac­ remains highly uncertain. Our collective combination with sediment deposition over tors will act together to affect future climate. estimate is that carbon will be released more hundreds and thousands of years, has buried The ability to project how much carbon will quickly than models suggest, and at levels permafrost carbon many metres deep. be released is hampered both by the fact that that are cause for serious concern. The answers to three key questions will models do not account for some important We calculate that permafrost thaw will determine the extent to which the emission processes, and by a lack of data to inform the release the same order of magnitude of of this carbon will affect climate change: How models.
    [Show full text]
  • Ebook Download the Drunken Forest
    THE DRUNKEN FOREST PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Gerald Durrell | 192 pages | 21 Apr 2016 | Pan MacMillan | 9781509827077 | English | London, United Kingdom The Drunken Forest PDF Book Tanned edges, else, clean and tidy. Durrell is in quest of the odder of the small birds and animals to be founf in the Argentinian Pampas and the little-explored Chaco territory of Paraguay. Goblins On Acid First edition copy. Unless they happen to be near a road or a rabbit trail, drunken forests are usually the result of a gradual climate warming that melts permafrost. It's not just trees. Please, email us to describe your idea. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. Published by Penguin Books Published by Penguin, Harmondsworth. Light age spotting to end papers. Bright copy of Durrell's fifth book, an account of his animal-collecting expedition to the Argentine pampas and the Chaco territory of Paraguay. Ralph Thompson illustrator. In any case, this book is a keeper and I recommend it to everyone. Goblins On Acid buy track 3. Short description : Gerald Da ell. I love Durrell's books, all of them great! Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. A nice reading copy. Almost there! Ratings and Reviews Write a review. Matt Warder. The partnership was an extraordinarily fruitful one, lasting a full decade and resulting in Durrell's most attractive books, including, of course, 'My Family and other Animals'. Notify me of new posts via email. Drunken, or "collapsed" trees, are one of the more visible signs of change in the north.
    [Show full text]
  • High Density Airborne Lidar Estimation of Disrupted Trees Induced by Landslides
    HIGH DENSITY AIRBORNE LIDAR ESTIMATION OF DISRUPTED TREES INDUCED BY LANDSLIDES Khamarrul Azahari Razak (1,2,5), Alexander Bucksch (3), Menno Straatsma (4), Cees J. Van Westen (2), Rabieahtul Abu Bakar (4), Steven M. de Jong (5) 1) UTM Razak School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Semarak, 54100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2) Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, University of Twente, Enschede, P.O Box 217, 7500AE, The Netherlands 3) School of Biology and School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America 4) Southeast Asia Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia 5) Utrecht University, Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht, The Netherlands ABSTRACT morphology, vegetation and drainage conditions of the slopes [2]. However little attempt has been made to utilize Airborne laser scanning (ALS) data has revolutionized the ALS data to represent tree structures that may be the landslide assessment in a rugged vegetated terrain. It indicative of landslides, because the required high point enables the parameterization of morphology and vegetation density, the error in ALS data and limited capability of of the instability slopes. Vegetation characteristics are by far passive remote sensing instruments to detect variability of less investigated because of the currently available accuracy 3D-forest-structure [3]. and density ALS data and paucity of field data validation. Woody vegetation can be an indicator of local We utilized a high density ALS (HDALS) data with 170 deformation and different epochs of displacement [4]. These points m-2 for characterizing disrupted vegetation induced by methods, however, are time consuming and required an landslides by means of a variable window filter and the intensive field investigation.
    [Show full text]