The LEAF Scanner is a permanent laser scanner (PLS) that continuously records laser scans of the forest structure throughout the day. The LEAF Scanner at the LWF demonstration plot is the first of its kind in Switzerland and is part of the StrucNet network (Vision - StrucNet). The goal of these high-temporal-resolution laser scanning recordings is to capture and analyze structural dynamics over a phenological cycle. We were able to borrow the LEAF Scanner at the LWF demonstration plot from the Technical University of Munich for a period of two years, and it was installed in January 2026. The scanner currently performs hourly “hinge scans,” capturing only a small zenith angle range around 57.5 ± 0.9°. These scans take just under 6 minutes. Once a day, at 3:00 a.m., a high-resolution hemispheric scan is also performed, which takes 42 minutes.
The primary goal of installing the scanner at the LWF demonstration site is to evaluate its robustness and maintenance requirements. If this test is successful, several such LEAF scanners could be installed at various LWF sites. A LEAF scanner currently costs around 15,000 CHF and is manufactured by a small company in Australia (Environmental Sensing Systems).
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