Sonoma State University Awarded $1.1M To Conduct Research
SSU has been awarded $1.1 million to conduct research on the effects of wildfires on forest health in California. Using 3D laser scanning services, they will also develop online instructional activities.
The money will allow Sonoma State biology students to acquire biological data necessary to increase our forest structure knowledge. The money will go to technology that will help them understand various aspects, everything from evaluating its influence on previous wildfire severity to anticipating how it impacts future wildfire risk. This information will be captured through state of the art technology thanks to 3D scanning services.
Lisa Patrick Bentley, associate professor of biology at Sonoma State, will collaborate with graduate and undergraduate biology students to acquire exact 3D photographs of local woods using a terrestrial LiDAR scanner (TLS). This is a different form of 3D laser scan. Dr. Bentley and her colleagues will be able to quantify the amount of carbon stored in the forest research sites by combining TLS data on tree size, leaf features, and climatic data.
How SSU Will Use 3D Laser Scanning Services
Additionally, the study is essential for forecasting how changing forest architecture may impact future wildfire danger. Dr. Bentley and her colleagues will undertake research in Pepperwood Preserve in Sonoma County and three CALFIRE Demonstration State Forests in Shasta County, Mendocino County, and Tulare County.
3D laser scanning services make this type of study possible. It helps collect accurate information, digitally preserve findings, and allow the general public to understand the research better. Without the help of 3D laser scanning services, this project would take years to create any form of educational video.
Dr. Bentley said that her long-term educational objectives at SSU are to educate students and community people about the effects of climate change on local ecosystems. Dr. Bentley said she hopes to link her educational objectives to the desire for high-impact academic experiences for a more diverse set of students, aligning with SSU’s goal of improving retention and graduation rates and eliminating all equity disparities.
The Bottom Line
Creating engaging content to teach the local community has always been hard. However, 3D laser scanning services are changing how we study the world and share our findings. 3D laser scanning services allow us to gain better insight and develop a unique experience in which people can learn more. You don’t have to be a scientist to understand the videos that are created with this technology.