RAPID: Acquisition of high resolution LiDAR for Barro Colorado Nature Monument, Panama

光探测和测距(LiDAR)是一种有效、快速的遥感技术，用于描述森林冠层结构、树木高度以及森林干扰的大小和位置。这些数据还可以提供对整个森林在景观尺度上的碳储量的估计。当与激光雷达结合使用时，高光谱图像可以测量从树冠反射的光的波长，可以提供对单个森林物种的识别。目前，部署激光雷达和高光谱图像的成本限制了其主要应用于温带森林。巴拿马巴罗科罗拉多自然纪念碑(BCNM)是世界上研究最深入的热带森林之一，以极低的成本获得这张图像的时间有限。激光雷达和高光谱图像为整合热带森林结构和生物多样性的数据提供了极其强大的工具。这些数据将为BCNM开展的各种项目提供宝贵的资源，并将推动开展新的研究，目的是将现有的地面研究转化为与森林管理和养护有关的景观尺度。BCNM丰富的现有数据使其能够对LiDAR提供大规模森林碳估计的潜力进行严格评估，这将在通过减少毁林和退化排放来实施拟议的二氧化碳(CO2)排放控制方面发挥关键作用。数据将由史密森环境科学计划维护，并在获取一年后在网上提供，并作为生态档案出版物。这些数据将有助于在众多合作机构对学生进行培训和研究。

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is an effective, rapid, remote-sensing technology for describing the structure of forest canopies, height of individual trees, and the size and location of forest disturbances. These data can also provide estimates of standing carbon stocks of entire forests at landscape scales. When used in conjunction with LiDAR, hyperspectral imagery, which measures the wavelength of light reflected from a canopy, can provide identification of individual forest species. At present, the cost of deploying LiDAR and hyperspectral imagery has limited its application mostly to temperate forests. A time-limited opportunity has arisen to acquire this imagery at a greatly reduced cost for Barro Colorado Nature Monument (BCNM), Panama, one of the best-studied tropical forests in the world.LiDAR and hyperspectral imagery provide an exceptionally powerful tool for integrating data on the structure and biodiversity of tropical forests. These data will provide a valuable resource for diverse projects conducted at BCNM, and will stimulate new research aimed at translating existing ground-based research up to landscape scales relevant to forest management and conservation. The wealth of existing data at BCNM allow for a rigorous evaluation of LiDAR's potential to provide large-scale forest carbon estimates, which will play a key role in implementation of proposed carbon dioxide (CO2) emission control through Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation. Data will be maintained by Smithsonian's Environmental Science Program and made available online and as an Ecological Archives publication one year after acquisition. These data will contribute to the training and research of students at numerous collaborating institutions.