Download Remote sensing for forest mapping

This report was commissioned by the Department of Conservation and funded through the Ministry for Primary Industries, Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service. The study investigated how advanced remote-sensing technologies can improve measurement and mapping of indigenous forest structure, composition, condition, and carbon across New Zealand. The project combined field plot measurements with airborne LiDAR and high-resolution multispectral imagery to develop new methods for assessing forest structure, composition, condition, and carbon storage. A new Global Positioning System (GPS) protocol improved the accuracy of permanent forest plot locations, while analytical methods were developed across 182 forest sites to link field measurements with remotely sensed data. The research demonstrated that forest carbon can be reliably estimated and mapped at regional scales using LiDAR-derived forest structure metrics. The findings provide an important foundation for national-scale carbon monitoring, improved indigenous forest management, and future carbon accounting initiatives.

Keywords: indigenous forest; native forest; ngahere; remote sensing; LiDAR; forest mapping; forest carbon; carbon storage; forest structure; forest condition; forest composition; multispectral imagery; canopy height; carbon monitoring.