This section provides information on completed projects, their findings and observations as well as possible new innovations. Detailed descriptions of the progress and results of research are published in separate blogs.
Assessing wood properties in standing timber with laser scanning
The first one of the completed projects presented in this section is Dr. Jiri Pyörälä’s research on the use of laser scanning in forest resources management from the year 2020.
Postdoctoral Researcher Jiri Pyörälä earned his PhD degree from the Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, by defending his doctoral dissertation entitled Assessing wood properties in standing timber with laser scanning on 18 September 2020. The Finnish Natural Resources Research Foundation supported his research with a three-year grant in 2015–2017.
The main research topic was the use of laser scanning methods for assessing wood properties in standing timber. The research is groundbreaking within this field.
The primary findings of the research were as follows:
- Laser scanning is a reliable method for measuring and/or predicting the most important trunk and branch properties (quality indicators) reflecting the allocation of wood formation
- Combining modern measurement methods with the established theory of tree formation opens new opportunities for practical applications.
- On the basis of the findings, it is possible to promote more sustainable wood procurement as the quality factors can be considered at an early stage in the selection of raw materials for forest industry
- More detailed information about the wood quality of standing timber can also be useful in improving the accuracy of carbon sink calculations.
Read more about the research in our blog: “Assessing wood properties in standing timber with laser scanning”
