ALSgator
The ALSgator application was created as part of the project "Remote sensing determination of woody biomass and carbon resources in forests" (REMBIOFOR) and was developed by a team from the Geomatics Department of the Forest Research Institute, in consultation with representatives of the State Forests.
The main task of ALSgator is to estimate information about the abundance of forest stands based on the results of airborne laser scanning (ALS - Airborne Laser Scanning).
The application consists of two modules:
- Data control module - individual tools of the remote sensing data control module allow you to control the point cloud, its processing - Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and Digital Land Cover Model (NMPT), as well as aerial photos, orthoimages and orthophotomaps. This module enables automatic or semi-automatic control of remote sensing data received from various contractors as part of orders carried out by the State Forests. It is recommended to check the data using all tools, in accordance with the order proposed in individual modules. The report generated in the application makes it easier to decide whether to accept data or report defects to the order contractor. Using the tools requires the User to have some experience with spatial data and their processing, especially point clouds from airborne laser scanning.
- Estimation module - its main task is to estimate forest stand abundance based on airborne laser scanning data.
In the current version, the program allows you to estimate:
- volume of growing stock (V),
- diameter at breast height for all trees per hectare (G),
- average breast height for all trees (D),
- the average diameter at breast height of the thickest trees, understood as the average diameter at breast height of the 100 thickest trees from one hectare (D100),
- tree density expressed in the number of trees per hectare (N),
- top height of the 100 thickest trees per hectare (H100),
- average height of all trees (H),
- average height of trees in the first layer (H1).
The application requires properly prepared data.
As a result, the user receives spatial layers and a summary report.
The program additionally generates charts that can be saved by the user.
The current version of ALSGator 1.8.2 is available free of charge to contractors of forest management works (draft forest management plans for State Treasury lands, simplified forest management plans, other works related to forest management).
To gain access to the application, please send your application to the following e-mail address: bdl@bdl.lasy.gov.pl
All comments regarding the application and bug reports should be sent to the following e-mail address: bdl@bdl.lasy.gov.pl