Application of Uav-lidar System in Forest Inventory; a Case of Mombasa Bamburi Cement Forest

Abstract

Forests help regulate the global climatic condition through the absorption of carbon dioxide from the environment and storing it in biomass and soil. In 2016, about 27% of carbon dioxide emitted from fossil fuels and industries was absorbed by the forests(UN, 2019). Forests also can absorb and keep about one-tenth of global anthropogenic emissions in their biomass, soil, and products. However, nearly 12 million hectares of forest are ruined annually through deforestation, coupled with farming and other land-use changes such as urban development, which is accountable for 25 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions (UNEP 2022). The main objective of this study was to use LiDAR data from the UAV to support forest monitoring and management through forest inventory. This study focused on the Bamburi forest in Mombasa County, Kisauni Sub-county. The forest is located within the coastal region where the effects of climate change include a rise in sea level, high temperatures, etc. The study used the DJI Matrice 300 RTK drone mounted with a LiDAR camera. The study undertook flight mission preparations, flight mission, and data processing and validation in a GIS environment to generate the point cloud data that were used to generate forest attributes and earth models. The output of the project was the 0.5 m DEM of the study area and forest attributes, including tree count, tree heights, tree crown diameter, and tree crown areas and their spatial distributions. The study concluded that it is possible to use UAV LiDAR data to generate forest attributes which are important in forestry management. The study then recommended that in the application of UAV LiDAR for forestry monitoring, a multispectral camera should also be used to be able to generate tree species information in the forest to not only support the sustainable management of the forest but also enhance biodiversity conservation measures.