Speaker
Description
Terrain trafficability affects average skidding distance (ASD) calculations through economic impact and environmental restrictions during skidding operations. This research tested the possibility of using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a LiDAR sensor in determining inaccessible forest areas for skidding operations based on restricting terrain slope and/or ground obstacles. Areas restricted for skidder mobility were determined with the high spatial resolution digital terrain model (DTM) that was the result of an airborne laser scanning (ALS) survey. Pixel size of tested DTM was 0.25 m. Research was conducted in management unit Belavine, Republic of Croatia. Terrain of research area can be characterised as steep. Data from the ALS survey was compared with the data from a terrain field survey where permanent and temporary watercourses were highlighted together with steep water bank slopes where skidders' mobility is impossible due to its dimensional characteristics. The analysis of non trafficable terrain was performed in the ArcGIS programme package. Although, some discrepancies between the methods arose, the results indicate the possibility of using a high spatial resolution DTMs to determine terrain trafficability for skidding operations as oppose to labour intensive and time-consuming field data surveys. Future research must include other parameters that limit skidders’ mobility, as well as the automation of the analysis by creating a sufficient GIS plug-in.
| Keywords | timber_extraction; ALS; harvesting_operations; ground_obstacles |
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