Using Airborne Lidar for Detection and Morphologic Analysis of Waterbodies Obscured by the Forest Canopy

Abstract

The goal of this study was to map watercourses, watersheds, and small wetland features that are completely obscured by the forest canopy using airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) within the archaeological site from Porolissum. This technology was used to generate a bare-earth Digital Terrain Model (DTM) with 0.5 m spatial resolution in order to map small depressions and concavities across 10 km 2 of forested landscape. Although further research is needed to determine the ecological, geological, and archaeological significance of the mapped waterbodies, the general methodology represents important progress in the rapid and accurate detection of wetland habitats in forested landscapes.