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Integrating terrestrial and canopy laser scanning for comprehensive analysis of large old trees : implications for single tree and biodiversity research

Barbara D'hont (UGent) , Kim Calders (UGent) , Alexandre Antonelli, Thomas Berg, Wout Cherlet (UGent) , Karun Dayal (UGent) , Olivia Jayne Fitzpatrick, Leonard Hambrecht, Maurice Leponce, Arko Lucieer, et al.
(2026) REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION. 12(1). p.5-20
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Abstract
Large old trees provide multiple ecosystem services and contribute disproportionately to forest biomass and biodiversity. Yet their canopies remain among the least-explored terrestrial habitats, despite their structural influence on key ecological processes such as light interception, moisture regulation, carbon storage and habitat formation. While terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) captures tree structure primarily from the ground, it struggles with occlusion and reduced precision in dense upper canopies, limiting information on fine-scale branches and canopy vegetation. To address this, we introduce canopy laser scanning (CLS). We lifted a high-end laser scanner into the canopy of six large, old trees by using scaffolding or climbers. Four trees are in diverse tropical rainforests in Colombia, Brazil and Peru and have large complex crowns with dense foliage. Two 'giant' trees stand out in Tasmania's wet, temperate eucalypt forests. Combining canopy and terrestrial scans resulted in a consistent high point cloud quality. The combined point clouds exhibited uniform point densities throughout the entire tree (downsampled to 1 cm), enabling a thorough examination of both the tree structure and its associated vegetation. Quantitative Structure Models (QSMs) showed, on average, a 20% increase (compared to TLS) in estimated branch volume and length, particularly concentrated in the upper crown region. We identified key epiphytic groups for a 5 x 5 x 5 m3 subset of a tree. Our results show that CLS improves point cloud precision and reduces occlusion, enabling more accurate assessments of tree architecture and canopy biodiversity. Where feasible, this advancement creates new opportunities for 3D modelling of microhabitats, estimating aboveground carbon stocks, monitoring species and studying ecological dynamics.
Keywords
biodiversity, canopy laser scanning, LiDAR, occlusion, terrestrial laser scanning, tree crowns, Q-ForestLab

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Citation

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MLA
D’hont, Barbara, et al. “Integrating Terrestrial and Canopy Laser Scanning for Comprehensive Analysis of Large Old Trees : Implications for Single Tree and Biodiversity Research.” REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION, vol. 12, no. 1, 2026, pp. 5–20, doi:10.1002/rse2.70021.
APA
D’hont, B., Calders, K., Antonelli, A., Berg, T., Cherlet, W., Dayal, K., … Verbeeck, H. (2026). Integrating terrestrial and canopy laser scanning for comprehensive analysis of large old trees : implications for single tree and biodiversity research. REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION, 12(1), 5–20. https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.70021
Chicago author-date
D’hont, Barbara, Kim Calders, Alexandre Antonelli, Thomas Berg, Wout Cherlet, Karun Dayal, Olivia Jayne Fitzpatrick, et al. 2026. “Integrating Terrestrial and Canopy Laser Scanning for Comprehensive Analysis of Large Old Trees : Implications for Single Tree and Biodiversity Research.” REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION 12 (1): 5–20. https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.70021.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
D’hont, Barbara, Kim Calders, Alexandre Antonelli, Thomas Berg, Wout Cherlet, Karun Dayal, Olivia Jayne Fitzpatrick, Leonard Hambrecht, Maurice Leponce, Arko Lucieer, Olivier Pascal, Pasi Raumonen, and Hans Verbeeck. 2026. “Integrating Terrestrial and Canopy Laser Scanning for Comprehensive Analysis of Large Old Trees : Implications for Single Tree and Biodiversity Research.” REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION 12 (1): 5–20. doi:10.1002/rse2.70021.
Vancouver
1.
D’hont B, Calders K, Antonelli A, Berg T, Cherlet W, Dayal K, et al. Integrating terrestrial and canopy laser scanning for comprehensive analysis of large old trees : implications for single tree and biodiversity research. REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION. 2026;12(1):5–20.
IEEE
[1]
B. D’hont et al., “Integrating terrestrial and canopy laser scanning for comprehensive analysis of large old trees : implications for single tree and biodiversity research,” REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 5–20, 2026.
@article{01K3GS1V0PJJ29JRTQXF3QXN0F,
  abstract     = {{Large old trees provide multiple ecosystem services and contribute disproportionately to forest biomass and biodiversity. Yet their canopies remain among the least-explored terrestrial habitats, despite their structural influence on key ecological processes such as light interception, moisture regulation, carbon storage and habitat formation. While terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) captures tree structure primarily from the ground, it struggles with occlusion and reduced precision in dense upper canopies, limiting information on fine-scale branches and canopy vegetation. To address this, we introduce canopy laser scanning (CLS). We lifted a high-end laser scanner into the canopy of six large, old trees by using scaffolding or climbers. Four trees are in diverse tropical rainforests in Colombia, Brazil and Peru and have large complex crowns with dense foliage. Two 'giant' trees stand out in Tasmania's wet, temperate eucalypt forests. Combining canopy and terrestrial scans resulted in a consistent high point cloud quality. The combined point clouds exhibited uniform point densities throughout the entire tree (downsampled to 1 cm), enabling a thorough examination of both the tree structure and its associated vegetation. Quantitative Structure Models (QSMs) showed, on average, a 20% increase (compared to TLS) in estimated branch volume and length, particularly concentrated in the upper crown region. We identified key epiphytic groups for a 5 x 5 x 5 m3 subset of a tree. Our results show that CLS improves point cloud precision and reduces occlusion, enabling more accurate assessments of tree architecture and canopy biodiversity. Where feasible, this advancement creates new opportunities for 3D modelling of microhabitats, estimating aboveground carbon stocks, monitoring species and studying ecological dynamics.}},
  author       = {{D'hont, Barbara and Calders, Kim and Antonelli, Alexandre and Berg, Thomas and Cherlet, Wout and Dayal, Karun and Fitzpatrick, Olivia Jayne and Hambrecht, Leonard and Leponce, Maurice and Lucieer, Arko and Pascal, Olivier and Raumonen, Pasi and Verbeeck, Hans}},
  issn         = {{2056-3485}},
  journal      = {{REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION}},
  keywords     = {{biodiversity,canopy laser scanning,LiDAR,occlusion,terrestrial laser scanning,tree crowns,Q-ForestLab}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{5--20}},
  title        = {{Integrating terrestrial and canopy laser scanning for comprehensive analysis of large old trees : implications for single tree and biodiversity research}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.70021}},
  volume       = {{12}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}
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