Institutional development · Research, innovation and assessment · Germany
Heidelberg and Finnish researchers find dead tree branches move with daily humidity shifts
Geoinformatics researchers at Heidelberg University, working with the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute, used autonomous laser scanning to show that dead branches shift measurably over the course of a day.
Why it matters: Researchers in geoinformatics and forest monitoring gain evidence that dead branches move with changes in humidity, measured by an autonomous laser scanning system.
Geoinformatics researchers at Heidelberg University report that dead tree branches move noticeably during the day rather than staying static.
The study was carried out in cooperation with the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute (FGI), according to the university's announcement.
The team used an autonomously operating laser scanning system to map one forest plot at regular intervals.
A tracking algorithm developed for the work allowed the researchers to quantify even small branch movements, which they attribute to changes in humidity.
Editor’s view
Scott James, Research and Innovation Editor
For the Heidelberg and FGI teams, the result rests on repeated autonomous laser scans of a single forest plot combined with a purpose-built tracking algorithm, which they say captured humidity-driven movement in dead branches.
