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Remote Sensing

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We develop and apply comprehensive and robust methods to extract and classify natural objects from continuous and discrete raster datasets. Relevant features are acquired to describe changes in landscape and land resources at different levels using image data. Mathematical-statistical methods are adopted for automatic detection and description of image objects. Thus we contribute concepts, methods and data to describe/detect area wide changes and processes in the resources of landscape.

Tasks and main research:

Development and application of methods to extract natural objects from continuous data.

Development of methods for a comprehensive description of natural and anthropogenetic boundaries in continuous pattern (e.g. map signatures, vegetation transition, forest borders).

Development and application of methods to extract 3D-information from remotely sensed data for description of natural structures and changes. The main focus lies on wood and its embedding/interaction within/with the landscape.

Conception and development of data acquisition based on high resolution remote sensing data.

Conception, development and maintenance of the software interface in area wide data acquisition using airborne remote sensing data.

Scientific expert advice and support in the fields of photogrammetry and survey at WSL. Maintenance, enhancements and future development in these specific fields.

Adequate presentation of scientific results on national level and in noted international journals and at international congresses/workshops/symposia.

About our research:

Switzerland 3D

FURTHER INFORMATION

Projects

Spectral screening for the early detection of a highly invasive beetle in Switzerland

The emergence of visible tree-stress symptoms caused by the emerald ash borer occurs only several years after its arrival and are hard to tell apart from those caused by soil drought. Here, we investigate the potential of reflectance spectroscopy as an early-warning screening tool.

Opportunities for biodiversity in sustainable cities, the Urban Living Lab in Viererfeld Bern

Urbanisation is a main driver of biodiversity and ecological change, but how the process affects biodiversity is not well understood. This project on urban ecology monitors the impact of urbanisation and establishes an Urban Living Lab (ULL) for sustainable city development.

SOLID - SOiL Information for species Distribution modelling

In this project, we are investigating the extent to which the spatial predictability of forest plant species and fungi can be improved by using high-resolution soil maps. In addition, we analyse how climate change affects the distribution of different species and what role soil plays in this.

Habitat Map Switzerland

The demand for the Swiss Habitat Map is very high. In order to meet the needs of the various users and to maintain usability, it is important that the habitat map is continuously maintained and improved.

Forest Resource Dynamic Monitoring

The joint project between Switzerland, Laos, Malaysia and China aims to research and develop the key technologies for forest resources dynamic monitoring and forest volume estimation based on ALS and other related remote sensing technologies.

Remote sensing data for fire danger rating

Provide a simplified Swiss-wide forest fire-related characterization of forest fuel types and calculate and analyse drought and fire-related remote sensing indices derived from multispectral Landsat and Sentinel-2 data.

Lebensraumkarte historisch

In diesem Projekt wird untersucht, ob es möglich ist, die Kartierung der aktuellen Verteilung der Lebensräume durch die Kartierung der historischen Situation für die Jahre 1950, 1980 und 2000 zu ergänzen, d.h. eine Periode mit zunehmender Landnutzungsintensität und abnehmender Biodiversität.

Sentinel-2 vegetation height models

The aim of the project is to generate annual vegetation height models for Switzerland based on satellite imagery from Sentinel-2. Within the framework of the Swiss NFI, a workflow will be implemented and the accuracy of the resulting products will be estimated.

ICOS-2: Integrated Carbon Observation System in Switzerland, Phase 2017-2021

Die Forschungsstation Seehornwald Davos wurde in den 80er-Jahren von der WSL initiiert und ist damit eine der ältesten permanent betriebenen Wald-Vegetations-Forschungsstationen in der Schweiz.

Regeneration assessment in open forest areas

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle UAV equipped with a LiDAR sensor will be used to test its potential for regeneration structure assessments in mountain forests. The project aims to combine terrestrial regeneration mapping with LiDAR-based information to assess size, density and location of regeneration.

Copernicus Land Monitoring 2021-2025

Das vom BAFU finanzierte Projekt verfolgt die laufenden Entwicklungen im Bereich Copernicus Land Monitoring Services aktiv. Dies umfasst den wissenschaftlichen und technischen Support im Bereich Landbedeckung / Landnutzung auf schweizerischer und europäischer Ebene.

Remote sensing-based national forest damage assessment system

In the FNEWs project, a national remote sensing-based monitoring system for forest damage is being set up for Germany. In the WSL's work package the potentials of Sentinel-1 C-band data are analysed, demonstrated and operational procedures are designed.

Noise and Greenspaces

Can people in urban regions recover from stress in green spaces or is there too much noise? Researchers from WSL and Empa explore the audio-visual requirements green spaces have to meet to enable noise-exposed people to recover from stress.

TM Wrapper

We develop a R package for the easier applicability of the forest landscape model TreeMig.

Nationwide shrub forest distribution maps based on remote sensing

Information on the distribution of shrub forest is of broad interest. The aim of this project is a robust workflow to produce an up-to-date, nationwide and high-resolution distribution map of the two dominant shrub forest species in the Alpine region based on remote sensing.

Acclimation and environmental memory

Which are the main mechanisms conveying adaptation on the organ and whole tree level, how fast does acclimation occur and how long is an acclimation potential sustained?

SlimForest

We aim at providing the link between the belowground water regime, related to the triggering of shallow landslides, and aboveground structural properties of forests as well as between ground truth and remote sensing data in view of up-scaling from the local to the regional and supra-regional scale.

Tree species map of Switzerland

Despite the technical developments in the remote sensing sector that have emerged recently, data collection, efficient processing and especially storage of big data, and classifications over large areas are still insufficient.

Habitat Map of Switzerland

Spatially explicit distribution of habitats in Switzerland

Storm damage indication map

Remote sensing methods allow a rapid, wide-area and objective overview of the forest damage after a storm event.

Give and take: how much water does soil retain for trees?

Establishing an inventory of soil water availability to trees in Swiss forest soils. This is done by means of model-based analysis of the water balances at 16 long-term monitoring sites in Switzerland, representing various geographical locations, soil and vegetation types.

Drought 2018 - TreeNet meets Sentinel2

TreeNet permanently measures growth and tree water deficit (TWD) of about 250 tree individuals in forests all over Switzerland with so-called point dendrometers. TWD has shown to be a reasonable biological indicator for drought stress and quantifies the amount of missing water a tree needs to reach full saturation. In combination with spectral anomalies of satellite-based indices (e.g., NDWI from Sentinel2ab) between 2018 and a reference period we test whether we can find a close link between the two drought stress indicators.

Spezialfälle und Fruchtfolgeflächen

Können Böden unter Gewächshäusern, in Gewässerräumen etc. auch ins kantonale Inventar an Fruchtfolgeflächen aufgenommen werden?

WebSnow

Integration of Webcam data for deriving Snow cover and snow depth from Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and Pléiades data

Automatisierte Erfassung invasiver Neophyten an Autobahnen

Highways are important corridors for the spread of invasive species. In this project, an automated detection and mapping of invasive alien plant species based on artificial intelligence (Deep Learning) and computer vision was developed and applied on highways of the Swiss Central Plateau.

Fledermaus-Flugkorridore

Wie erreichen Fledermäuse aus ihren Quartieren ihre Jagdlebensräume? Wir modellieren die Korridore im GIS!

CLIMASTEPPE - Solutions for climate-smart land use in the dry steppes of Russia

In the CLIMASTEPPE project, we will investigate with partners from Russia, Germany, Slovakia how to optimise the land use of Russian steppe under changing climate conditions.

Grundlagen Lebensraumkarte Schweiz

Im Projekt werden bereits vorhandene und in Entstehung befindliche Geodatensätze für ihr Potential zur Erstellung einer Lebensraumkarte (nach Delarze, Gonseth, Eggenberg & Vust 2015) für die Schweiz evaluiert. Ein erste Prototyp wird erstellt.

Filling the land use gap

Mapping grassland management intensity in Switzerland with high spatial and temporal resolution satellite imagery

Redevelopment of the single tree growth model Massimo

Massimo ist ein Distanz- und Positions- unabhängiges Einzelbaum Wachstumsmodell, basierend auf dem Netz des Schweizerischen Landesforstinventars. Die Module für Wachstum, Mortalität, Störungen und Bewirtschaftung basieren auf empirische Modelle die mit Daten des LFI angepasst wurden.

PleiAlps - Deriving 3D forest parameters from Pléiades imagery

Mountain forests provide a wide range services. To quantify these services provided, information about the 3D forest structure is essential. PleiAlps will lead to a deeper understanding of the requirements for generating an Alpine wide high detail forest map from satellite stereo-imagery.

Future consumption of prime cropland

Land use scenarios suggest that prime cropland, according to the sectorial plan of cropland protection, may come under even greater urbanisation pressure in some cantons in the following period of comprehensive plans.

Pan3D - Nationwide 3D data from historical aerial imagery

In this project we use historical, panchromatic imagery to process a nation wide (Switzerland) high resolution vegetation height model (VHM). This extends the time series of information about the forest structure in Switzerland an thus opens up a whole range of new research possibilities.

Remote sensing Uholka-Shyrokyi Luh

In order to quantify the vegetation in its 3D structure and to be able to model the topography of the surveyed area, a LiDAR aerial survey will be carried out during spring of 2017.

Vegetation height model NFI

For Switzerland, a national vegetation elevation model was calculated and updated on an ongoing basis. The ADS80 images routinely captured by swisstopo form the basis for the image matching workflow for deriving a 3D model of the landscape.

Countrywide Tree Type Mapping from Remote Sensing Surveys

Regularly updated information on the state, change and distribution of tree types (broadleaved and coniferous tree) is essential for forest related studies. The first data set consists of ADS80 aerial imagery. The follow-up product is currently being optimized using Sentinel satellite data.

Beurteilung von Schutzwäldern mittels Fernerkundung

Ziel dieses LFI-Projektes ist es, Methoden der Fernerkundung zur Beurteilung der aktuellen Schutzwirkung und Verjüngung von Schutzwäldern zu entwickeln. Im Fokus stehen die Möglichkeiten von terrestrischem (TLS) und flugzeuggestütztem Lasesscanning (ALS).

Wildfire, insect attack and windthrow in mountain forests are on the rise again

Eine internationale Gruppe von Forschern zeigt, dass zunehmende Fläche und Holzvorräte in Bergwäldern in den letzten 150 Jahren zu mehr natürlichen Störungen wie Waldbrand geführt haben.

Forest inventory on enterprise level

With a smart combination of data collected with terrestrial methods and remote sensing forest inventories shall become more efficient and practice oriented to serve the needs of a multifunctional forest management.

FORECOM Forest cover changes in mountainous regions

In the Polish-Swiss joint research project Forecom we will analyze historical forest cover changes and their drivers in the Carpatians and Alps. We will develop scenarios of potential future forest cover changes and assess the impact of past and future changes on key ecosystem services.

Monitoring the Effectiveness of Habitat Conservation in Switzerland

The project "Monitoring the Effectiveness of Habitat Conservation in Switzerland" aims to determine whether habitats of national importance (dry meadows and pastures, alluvial areas, bogs and fens, amphibian breeding sites) are changing according to their conservation targets and maintaining the same surface area and quality.

CORINE Switzerland

Switzerland participates in the pan-European program CORINE to map land cover/ land use (CLC). WSL supports the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) in the production of the national data (CLC-CH 2000, CLC-CH 2006, CLC-CH 2012).

Copernicus Land Monitoring

This project funding is done by FOEN in order to observe actively the ongoing developments within Copernicus Land Monitoring Services. It encompasses the collaboration in working groups like EAGLE, assistance in EIONET meetings or expertise in international land cover / land use topics.

Snow Depth Mapping

Information on large scale snow depths is still mainly based on interpolated point measurements. New developments in sensor – and software technology for digital photogrammetry in the last two decades offer new possibilities to derive high resolution, digital surface models (DSM) even over snow covered high-alpine regions.

HELM

HELM initiates a move that will make European land monitoring more productive by increasing the alignment of national and sub-national land monitoring endeavours and by enabling their integration to a coherent European data system. HELM receives funding through the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission.

Waldausdehnung

Ziel des Projektes ist es, zu verbesserten Grundlagen für die politische Lenkung der Waldflächenzunahme im Schweizer Berggebiet beizutragen.

DEMalpine

We investigate the advantages and disadvantages of different remote sensing based technologies to generate such terrain models for high alpin regions.

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Publications

Waldner, P.; Hobi, M.; Stillhard, J.; Brang, P.; Hug, C.; Thimonier, A.; Schmitt, M.; Walser, M.; Köchli, R.; Zürcher, A.; Christen, D.; Hajjar, N.; Schaub, M.; Sutter, F.; Häni, M.; Meusburger, K.; Gessler, A.; Nussbaumer, A.; Hirsiger, T.; Zhu, J., 2023: Forschung im Waldreservat am Bettlachstock. Mitteilungen der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft des Kantons Solothurn, 161-179. doi: 10.5169/seals-1007786

Soffianian, A.R.; Toosi, N.B.; Asgarian, A.; Regnauld, H.; Fakheran, S.; Waser, L.T., 2023: Evaluating resampled and fused Sentinel-2 data and machine-learning algorithms for mangrove mapping in the northern coast of Qeshm island, Iran. Nature Conservation, 52: 1-22. doi: 10.3897/natureconservation.52.89639

Price, B.; Huber, N.; Nussbaumer, A.; Ginzler, C., 2023: The habitat map of Switzerland: a remote sensing, composite approach for a high spatial and thematic resolution product. Remote Sensing, 15, 3: 643 (24 pp.). doi: 10.3390/rs15030643

Huber, N.; Ginzler, C.; Pazur, R.; Descombes, P.; Baltensweiler, A.; Ecker, K.; Meier, E.; Price, B., 2023: Countrywide classification of permanent grassland habitats at high spatial resolution. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, 9, 1: 133-151. doi: 10.1002/rse2.298

Zweifel, R.; Pappas, C.; Peters, R.L.; Babst, F.; Balanzategui, D.; Basler, D.; Bastos, A.; Beloiu, M.; Buchmann, N.; Bose, A.K.; Braun, S.; Damm, A.; D'Odorico, P.; Eitel, J.U.H.; Etzold, S.; Fonti, P.; Freund, E.R.; Gessler, A.; Haeni, M.; ... Sterck, F., 2023: Networking the forest infrastructure towards near real-time monitoring - a white paper. Science of the Total Environment, 872: 162167 (11 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162167

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Staff

Remote Sensing

Christian Ginzler	Groupleader, Senior Scientist
Gian Baltensweiler	Temporary employee
Dr. Ruedi Bösch	Temporary employee
Claudio Bozzini	Temporary employee
Dr. Moritz Bruggisser	Postdoc
Dr. Petra D`Odorico	Scientific staff member
Birgit Eben	Technical staff member
Charis Moana Gretler	Trainee
Matthias Pierre Hägeli	temporary employee
Eveline Hägeli-Golay	Temporary employee
Dr. Serhii Havryliuk	Visiting scientist
Karina Ines Hoffmann	Visiting scientist
Dr. Nica Huber	Scientific staff member
Markus Immitzer	Visiting scientist
Yuchang Jiang	PhD student guest
Kai Jütte	Visiting scientist
Tiziana Li Koch	PhD student
Dr. Natalia Kolecka	Scientific staff member
Daniel Stefan Kükenbrink	Scientific staff member
Mauro Marty	Technical staff member
Anita Nussbaumer	Technical staff member
Dr. Livia Piermattei	Technical staff member
Dr. Bronwyn Price	Technical staff member
Dr. Achilleas Psomas	Technical staff member
Marius Rüetschi	Technical staff member
Barbara Schneider	IT specialist
Jan Schweizer	Visiting scientist
Urs Treier	Visiting scientist
Daniel Uebersax	Technical staff member
Dr. Zuyuan Wang	Scientific staff member
Dr. Lars Waser	Scientific staff member
Dominique Weber	Technical staff member
Dr. Clare Webster	Scientific staff member

Services and Products

Scenarios of land-use change for download

The results of the scenario modelling are available in raster format for non-commercial use by interested parties. PDF versions of maps for each scenario are available here for download.

Person in charge: Bronwyn Price

WSL websites

waldwissen.net

Knowhow for forestry experts and all others interested in the forest

lfi.ch

Swiss National Forest Inventory NFI - a forest information service

envidat.ch

Access to environmental monitoring and research data

natural-hazards.ch

Warnings on natural hazards by Swiss federal authorities

slf.ch

WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF in Davos

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Tasks and main research: