Description
This three-part training builds on a fundamental understanding of light detection and ranging (lidar), including its strengths, limitations, and distinguishing characteristics compared to other active and passive remote sensing observations. A central focus of the training is NASA’s Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission, a novel spaceborne lidar sensor that began collecting data in April 2019. GEDI is the first mission specifically designed for observing the vertical structure of forests and vegetation. Through case studies and an overview of available GEDI data products, participants will explore how GEDI informs analyses of canopy structure and supports biomass estimation for forests. The training introduces the sensitivity of waveform lidar by guiding participants through plotting waveforms and deriving key vegetation structure metrics, such as canopy cover, elevation, relative height, and plant area indices. In addition, participants will learn how to work with GEDI-derived biomass estimates in combination with data fusion products. The course covers the theoretical background of GEDI's capabilities and demonstrations on accessing, plotting, and interpreting GEDI data. The training concludes with an introduction to interpreting biomass datasets for decision support, which can be accessed through Google Earth Engine using the OBIWAN (Online Biomass Inference using Waveforms And iNventory) Application Programming Interface (API).