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Light Detection <strong>and</strong> Ranging (LiDAR)<br />

Light Detection <strong>and</strong> Ranging (LiDAR) is a technology that utilizes lasers to determine the<br />

distance to an object or surface. It is similar to radar but incorporates laser pulses rather than sound<br />

waves. Both systems determine distance by measuring the travel time between transmission <strong>and</strong><br />

reflection <strong>and</strong> detection of a pulse. Common airborne systems consist of a LiDAR laser scanner<br />

mounted in the bottom of an airplane (similar to an aerial camera) along with an Inertial Measuring<br />

Unit <strong>and</strong> Airborne GPS.<br />

In spring of 2007, a partnership between Camp Ripley, Crow Wing County, <strong>and</strong> St. Cloud<br />

State University contracted Merrick & Company to execute a LiDAR acquisition survey. Acquisition<br />

areas included Camp Ripley, Crow Wing County, <strong>and</strong> the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation.<br />

The contracted Camp Ripley project area included the installation <strong>and</strong> a three mile buffer<br />

excluding the area that falls within Crow Wing County. Although the MNARNG does not own the<br />

data for this exclusion area Crow Wing County has provided the data along with permission for its<br />

use. Therefore, the Camp Ripley LiDAR data set currently covers Camp Ripley as well as a three<br />

mile buffer surrounding the installation.<br />

Camp Ripley LiDAR data<br />

Acquisition period: 9 May - 24 June 2007<br />

Avg point density: 1.7 points/m 2<br />

Number of returns: 4<br />

Tiling scheme: 5000 x 5000ft<br />

Data deliverables<br />

All data points classified into ground <strong>and</strong> non-ground<br />

- LAS format (also includes intensity values)<br />

-ASCII format<br />

Digital Terrain Model (DTM) sufficient to generate 2ft contours derived from LiDAR<br />

- mass points <strong>and</strong> break lines in ESRI shapefile format<br />

- Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN) format<br />

- 1m ESRI Grid format<br />

2ft contours derived from DTM<br />

-ESRI shapefile format<br />

LiDAR acquisition efforts are typically based upon the need for detailed terrain information.<br />

Although terrain deliverables were an important component of this project, recently developed<br />

analysis methods for quantifying various forest st<strong>and</strong> structural metrics (e.g., stem density, basal area,<br />

tree height <strong>and</strong> volume) were the true catalyst.<br />

The LiDAR derived forest metric data was pursued for two primary purposes:<br />

1. Explore a method to minimize annual inventory efforts.<br />

2. Improve underst<strong>and</strong>ing of the relationship between forest structure <strong>and</strong> breeding birds at<br />

Camp Ripley<br />

Page 17<br />

2009 Conservation Program Report

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