He and his students are busy in their lab on the UCF campus analyzing the readings collected in flights over woodlands in Kissimmee, Pennsylvania, NorthCarolina and Washington. A laser scans the trees, and at the same time a video tape is made of the site. The measurements are so accurate tree branch patterns can be studied. This will be potentially useful for other scientists conducting habitat studies. The scanners can even provide data on the shape and condition of trees.
Ecologists studying the worlds carbon cycle can use that information, too.
The world wide scope of the two year mapping project dwarfs his previous experience, Weishampel admits, but the gigabytes of measurements will be invaluable to scientists working to predict the worlds climatic future. Tape shot from the airplane during the flyovers at the same time the laser is scanning the ground. Simultaneous ground pictures of the target areas. The analysis process in the lab. Students use computers to analyze data.