Amazon Forest LiDAR and Terrain Data from 2008

LiDAR point clouds and digital terrain models capture forest canopy structure across three research sites near Manaus, Brazil. Data was collected in June 2008 to monitor the effects of selective logging on forest biomass and carbon balance. The dataset is associated with the Large-scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia and other Brazilian research programs.

Use Cases

• Analyzing forest canopy height and structure using LiDAR point cloud data.
• Modeling terrain and ground elevation with the provided digital terrain models.
• Assessing changes in forest biomass and carbon storage post-selective logging.
• Studying forest recovery over time at established biological research plots.
• Calibrating satellite-based biomass estimates with high-resolution ground and canopy data.

Strengths

• Data covers three distinct and important Amazonian research reserves: Cuieiras, Adolpho Ducke, and BDFFP sites.
• Collection purpose is specific: to measure canopy structure for monitoring logging effects and forest recovery.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA EarthData and Data.gov signals its curated importance for earth science.

Limitations

• Critical metadata conflicts exist: last updated date is listed as both 2008-06-24 and 2026-03 13 across sources.
• Essential details like row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable from all provided sources.
• Data is from a single month in 2008, limiting temporal analysis without follow-up surveys.

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD, associated with LBA, PPBio, and BDFFP research programs.

Collection Method

Airborne LiDAR surveys conducted over forested research plots.

Time Range

2008-06

Freshness

2026-03-13 00:56:42.269221

Geography

Cuieiras Biological Reserve, Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve, and BDFFP sites near Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.