Local councils responsible for developing just how "green" regional New South Wales is or can be in the future, have a new and highly accurate management tool at their disposal - one that gets off the ground and into the air.
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A new solution that has been derived from a technology called "LiDAR" - which stands for laser-based light detection and ranging - has been developed by Adelaide-based aerial mapping specialist, Aerometrex.
Mounted in the body of a specially fitted out aircraft, LiDAR emits laser pulses from the plane to ground level as it flies over a target survey area, with the pulse reflected back to sensors within the aircraft.
The data can then measure the exact location of trees, their height, the breadth and density of their canopies, the structure of branches, the height of canopies from the ground, and the type and density of the ground level vegetation around the trees.
The sheer volume, intensity and accuracy of the data - whether it be over government, private backyards or community land such as public parks and gardens - is a major time and cost gain for councils compared to traditional and more time consuming, less accurate and costly land-based surveys.
Aerometrex's managing director Mark Deuter says the LiDAR-derived tool is a breakthrough which takes managing our regional forests across NSW out of the 1950s foot patrols into a leading edge, data driven outcome.
"Critically, the data can be generated in 3D images and direct comparisons made between flight readings taken say a year ago, and today, so that loss, or growth, in tree numbers and canopy spread, is readily identifiable," Mr Deuter said.
"This allows more relevant problem areas to be identified and more relevant solutions enacted, particularly to meet growing public expectations that Australia needs to be greener rather than browner."
Aerometrex's Fabrice Marre said regional forests deliver positive economic, social and environmental benefits, including mitigating water run-off, are an obvious source of food and shelter for wildlife, increase local property values and help "cool down" city areas.
"It actually takes lot of knowledge to manage trees, including correct selection of locations for new plantings, the types of tree that need planting, whether they are a species best able to deliver a required canopy spread, and whether they potentially increase of decrease an area's fire risk," Mr Marre said.
"Regional NSW councils and government agencies have 'greening' targets that have to be reached. LiDar takes the guesswork and potential mismanagement out of it by providing wide-scale but real-time data that shows an exact percentage of treed areas and canopy cover," he said.
LiDar can also measure and digitise images of buildings surrounding urban treed areas, creating strong visual "alerts" of any high level degradation compared to previous fly-bys. The data also allows a comparison of the volume of canopy loss against new growth canopy cover as well.
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