Planning the activities for the conservation of forest biological and landscape diversity within the specially protected areas. (No. 1-08/356/2014)
The currently practiced inventory and assessment techniques in Latvia’s forest habitats are outdated. They require significant human, time and financial resources. According to national legislation, management of forests should be based on the most current, detailed and precise data available. At the moment, the data for many areas are outdated as only few locations are assessed. We are developing a method to fully update the required information. By using remote sensing methods, we can collect data quicker and with fewer human resources than the currently practiced methods.
The Aims
- To develop a new approach for forest management planning within specially protected areas in Latvia.
- To conserve forest biological and landscape diversity
- To promote biodiversity by regenerating protected forest ecosystems in their natural condition.
Results
We are developing the most suitable method for forest habitat inventorying and status assessment within 5825ha of specially protected areas in Latvia. The project activities will be implemented in four protected areas managed by the Nature Conservation Agency – Gauja National Park (GNP), Ķemeri National Park (KNP), Slītere National Park (SNP) and Rāzna National Park (RNP). By combining and analyzing airborne remote sensing and traditional ground truth data, our specialists will create a comprehensive system for the assessment of forest characteristics, status and quality; as well as an effective forest management strategy. Remote sensing data will be acquired by hyperspectral sensors, a high resolution RGB camera and LiDAR laser scanner. To ensure objectivity, remote sensing data will be compared with ground truth data.
Project duration: 01.10.2014. – 30.04.2016.
Project Manager: Gatis Eriņš
Project is financed by: Administration of Latvian Environmental Protection Fund
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