Multitemporal Monitoring with LiDAR for Large-Scale Assessment of Growth and Biomass Accumulation in Restored Areas in the Pontal do Paranapanema

• Grant number: 25/07416-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Forestry Resources and Forestry Engineering - Nature Conservation
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Guilherme Molin
• Grantee: Giovanna de Andrade Ferreira
• Supervisor: David Anthony Coomes
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Cambridge, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/07048-3 - Influence of Biophysical and Anthropogenic Variables on the Carbon Stock Potential in Restorable Areas, BP.MS

Abstract

Forest restoration plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change and conservingbiodiversity. However, the success of restoration initiatives depends on the efficientallocation of resources and the participation of private institutions, which have been drivingthe sector through carbon projects. The monitoring of restored areas is of great importancefor assessing forest structure, ensuring that secondary vegetation develops towards achievingbiodiversity indicators and conserving reference areas in the landscape. The proposed studyaims to analyze growth rates and biomass accumulation in restored areas in the Pontal doParanapanema by comparing multitemporal LiDAR data collected in 2021 and 2024. Theresearch methods include i) the automated segmentation of tree canopies using the CanopyHeight Model (CHM) from both datasets; ii) the conversion of CHM height data intoaboveground biomass using an allometric equation; iii) the calculation of growth rates andbiomass accumulation; and iv) the comparison between the 2021 and 2024 data, assessinglandscape dynamics. It is expected to generate greater credibility for the candidate's originalmaster's research project, which will propose a spatially explicit model of the carbon storagepotential in the Pontal do Paranapanema, incorporating data on growth rates and,consequently, carbon accumulation, contributing to multiple restoration commitments andinitiatives focused on climate regulation. (AU)