LiDAR Point Clouds Usage for Mapping the Vegetation Cover of the “Fryderyk” Mine Repository

LiDAR technology demonstrated significant potential for automating vegetation mapping, revealing substantial ecological succession progress at the Fryderyk mine repository between 2011 and 2019. Analysis of airborne laser scanning (ALS) point clouds showed a marked increase in mean vegetation height from 6.84 meters to 8.41 meters, alongside a rise in canopy cover from 30% to 42%. The study also quantified changes in vegetation volume, with an increase of approximately 99,880 cubic meters over the eight-year period, indicating robust ecological recovery in this post-mining landscape. These findings underscore LiDAR's effectiveness in monitoring secondary forest succession and land cover dynamics in post-industrial environments.

Szostak, M., & Pająk, M. (2022). LiDAR Point Clouds Usage for Mapping the Vegetation Cover of the “Fryderyk” Mine Repository. Remote Sensing, 15(1), 201. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15010201