100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

Cutting-edge lasers to reveal crucial information from the 'lungs of our planet'

Do you have a news tip? Click here to send to our news team.

New owners at award-winning tour company

There are new owners of a Sunshine Coast tour group that provides unique food and drink experiences. Jamie Marshall and Carly Wilkinson have taken the More

Tradie dad puts himself to test in reality show

A Sunshine Coast dad and small business owner who refused to let go of a 25-year dream appears on the new series of Survivor, More

Photo of the day: morning glow

Another magical morning overlooking Mooloolaba Spit. This photo was taken by Helen Browne. If you have a photo of the day offering, email photo@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. Photos More

Boys charged after chase involving allegedly stolen car

Sunshine Coast Child Protection Unit detectives have charged four boys after they were tracked in an allegedly stolen vehicle yesterday. Police were alerted to a More

Biosecurity zone established after fire ant detection

A new fire ant biosecurity zone has been established on the Sunshine Coast, following the detection of multiple nests last month about 35km north More

Residents run out of patience with river live-aboard vessels

A resident who has endured hours of generator noise blaring across the water and loose vessels striking his jetty has demanded a clean-up of More

University of the Sunshine Coast researchers will deploy state-of-the-art lasers to scan, measure and 3D map the nation’s rainforests.

The TruForest project – bolstered by a $1.7 million grant from the Australian Research Council – will provide analysts with unprecedented access to data from 3.6 million hectares.

Professor Andrew Marshall, from UniSC’s Forest Research Institute, said the technology had the potential to revolutionise the way we measure the world.

“LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) involves firing laser beams from scanners to create three-dimensional reconstructions of highly complex environments like rainforests,” he said.

“That same data could otherwise take months to gather by hand.

“This has significant implications for research projects, ecological surveys, forestry, carbon assessment, and for measuring and predicting change.”

Barron Gorge National Park in north Queensland. Picture: Shutterstock.

TruForest will also improve the accuracy and efficiency of measuring forest structure, biomass and carbon sequestration, as researchers seek to answer questions about the world’s forests and their capacity to recover from the global damage wrought by humans, cyclones and climate change.

Professor Marshall, the project leader, said the data was crucial to meeting Australia’s climate and environment commitments and informing future conservation efforts.

“Rainforests are particularly important to study because they are currently undergoing unprecedented threats from agriculture and climate change,” he said.

Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.auYou must include your name and suburb.

“Changes in the vegetation detected by LiDAR will give us critical new information about these effects.

“Rainforests are the lungs of our planet.

“They comprise 50 to 60 percent of Australia’s biodiversity and are crucial for carbon sequestration and supplying water to nearby agriculture, as well as having huge cultural and tourism value.”

The laser equipment is being made for purpose. University of the Sunshine Coast Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Helen Bartlett commended the TruForest research team’s work and acknowledged the significance of the Australian Research Council’s commitment.

The rainforest near Barron Gorge in north Queensland. Picture: Shutterstock.

“To lead a project of this calibre is a remarkable achievement for our University, reflecting the hard work of Professor Marshall and his colleagues, and the impact their research is having,” she said.

“It not only reaffirms our growing strength as a research leader in this space, but UniSC’s broader commitment to fostering sustainability and creating a healthier planet.”

Subscribe to SCN’s free daily news email

Hidden
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
[scn_go_back_button] Return Home
Share