Advancing Biodiversity Research: UAS LiDAR Solutions for Grassland Vegetation Dynamics

This project, conducted by Bjarke Madsen and his team at Aarhus University, Denmark, focuses on understanding grassland biodiversity dynamics through drone-based remote sensing. Leveraging the YellowScan Surveyor LiDAR system, the team aimed to monitor shrub encroachment in seminatural grasslands undergoing a rewilding experiment.

The study targeted Cytisus scoparius (Scotch broom), a fast-growing shrub that can outcompete other vegetation, impacting biodiversity negatively. The team performed detailed LiDAR scans across a 6.7-hectare area, combining ecological knowledge with advanced machine learning techniques to classify and analyse shrub species within the LiDAR point cloud. Two flight campaigns, in autumn 2017 and spring 2018, enabled the team to study seasonal changes in biomass. The analysis revealed spatial variations in shrub biomass changes, which were attributed to environmental factors like animal activity and seasonal growth dynamics.

This approach enabled precise biomass calculations and a comprehensive understanding of vegetation dynamics at a landscape scale, demonstrating the value of UAS LiDAR for biodiversity monitoring and conservation.