Author: Vítězslav Moudrý
Mapping the three-dimensional structure of vegetation (and terrain) is essential for understanding how terrestrial ecosystems function and for designing effective environmental policies. One of the most suitable remote sensing technologies for this purpose is airborne laser scanning (LiDAR). However, LiDAR is a relatively costly technology, and in Europe its acquisition is not centrally coordinated. Instead, responsibility lies with individual countries or regions, which decide independently whether and how data are collected.
Despite this fragmentation, airborne laser scanning has been used over the past fifteen years to map almost the entire European continent.
Fragmented Data Access Limits Continental Use
While data acquisition is fragmented, data access is equally inconsistent. Airborne LiDAR data are managed by national or regional authorities and are not always freely available. Even when access is granted, obtaining the data can be technically or administratively demanding. In addition, LiDAR datasets are very large and require specialized expertise and infrastructure for processing.
All of these factors significantly limit the use of airborne laser scanning data at the pan-European scale.
Toward a European Canopy Height Model
These challenges are addressed by an international research team led by Vítězslav Moudrý from the Faculty of Environmental Sciences at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. In their study, the authors mapped the availability and key characteristics of airborne laser scanning data across Europe and outlined a pathway toward their broader and more systematic use.
The study, published in Earth and Space Science, focuses primarily on the potential to create a pan-European canopy height model and other vegetation structure products. At the same time, these data also hold great potential for producing highly accurate digital terrain models.
Out of 44 European countries, at least 33 currently carry out airborne laser scanning through governmental institutions. Typical point densities of available datasets range between 2 and 5 points per square meter, while more recent campaigns achieve higher densities, substantially improving their suitability for mapping vegetation structure.
Most European countries provide LiDAR point clouds classified into basic categories such as ground, vegetation, buildings, and water bodies. More detailed classes—such as power lines or bridges—are included less frequently. While most countries provide derived terrain models, only a few offer derived vegetation structure metrics. Moreover, the choice of vegetation metrics and the methodologies used to calculate them vary considerably between countries.
The Need for Coordination and Harmonisation
To enable the use of vegetation structure metrics in a truly pan-European context, it is essential to coordinate these efforts from the outset. The goal should be to create a harmonised European-wide product that allows consistent interpretation and application across studies and regions. Such a product would increase the reliability and reproducibility of results when assessing vegetation structure over large spatial extents.
Achieving this vision will require the establishment of a centralised data repository, a unified metadata catalogue, and targeted data acquisition in regions where airborne laser scanning is still missing.
This research was carried out within the framework of the international EarthBridge project
Figure 1: Coverage of Europe by airborne laser scanning campaigns conducted by governmental institutions, including information on point densities from the most recent campaigns where available.
Figure 2: Years of acquisition of airborne laser scanning campaigns conducted by governmental institutions in Europe, including information on point density where available.
Real all article here: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025EA004544