Advances in animal ecology from 3D-LiDAR ecosystem mapping
Abstract
The advent and recent advances of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) have enabled accurate measurement of 3D ecosystem structure. Here, we review insights gained through the application of LiDAR to animal ecology studies, revealing the fundamental importance of structure for animals. Structural heterogeneity is most conducive to increased animal richness and abundance, and increased complexity of vertical vegetation structure is more positively influential compared with traditionally measured canopy cover, which produces mixed results. However, different taxonomic groups interact with a variety of 3D canopy traits and some groups with 3D topography. To develop a better understanding of animal dynamics, future studies will benefit from considering 3D habitat effects in a wider variety of ecosystems and with more taxa.
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Recent advances in Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology have enabled much improved measurements of vegetation structure applicable to animal ecology studies.
“Recent advances in Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology have enabled much improved measurements of vegetation structure applicable to animal ecology studies [24,25].”
From Effects of Vegetation Structure on the Location of Lion Kill Sites in African Thicket (2016) · cites this paper as [24]
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References 103 · Cited by 379
- Authors
- Davies, A. B., & Asner, G. P.
- Affiliations
- Carnegie Institution for Science (US)
- Corresponding author
- Davies, Andrew B.
- Venue
- Trends in Ecology & Evolution
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2014-12
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 681-691
- ISSN
- 0169-5347 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2067408254
- Cited by
- 379
- References
- 103
- Citations by year
- 2026: 33 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 54 · 2023: 46 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 33 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 12
- FWCI
- 1.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Trends in Ecology & Evolution (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Remote Sensing and LiDAR Applications
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Keywords
- 3D LiDAR, ecosystem structure, animal ecology, structural heterogeneity, habitat complexity, vertical vegetation structure, canopy cover, species richness, animal abundance, 3D topography, habitat effects
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Ecology, Plants, Ecosystem, Imaging, Three-Dimensional, Biodiversity, Remote Sensing Technology, Geographic Mapping
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