20.500.12556/DiRROS-28484 Spaceborne canopy height products should be complemented with airborne laser scanning data: toward a European canopy height model Measuring and mapping vegetation structure is essential for understanding the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems and for informing environmental policies. Recent years have seen a growing demand for high-resolution data on vegetation structure, driving their prediction at fine resolutions (1–30 m) at state, continental, and global spatial extents by combining satellite data with machine learning. As these initiatives expand, it is crucial to actively discuss the quality and usability of these products. Here, we briefly summarize current efforts to map vegetation structure and show that continental-to-global canopy height models (CHMs) exhibit significant errors in canopy heights compared to national airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. We recommend that regions with abundant ALS data, such as Europe, prioritize using ALS-based canopy height metrics rather than relying on less accurate predictions from satellite products. Despite variations in ALS data characteristics, such as temporal inconsistencies and differences in acquisition characteristics and classification accuracy, the generation of spatially contiguous canopy height products in raster format at fine spatial resolution is necessary and feasible. This requires coordinating efforts for data and survey harmonization, developing standardized processing pipelines and continent-wide ALS products, and ensuring free access for research and environmental policy. We show that ALS data now cover most of Europe, with newer surveys achieving higher point densities, improving their suitability for vegetation mapping. Beyond numerous applications in forestry, ecology, and conservation, such data sets are crucial for calibrating future Earth Observation missions, making them essential for producing reliable and accurate global, fine-resolution vegetation structure data. true false true Angleški jezik Ni določen © 2026. The Author(s) Neznano 2026-03-21 15:24:23 2026-03-21 15:24:24 2026-03-26 15:18:00 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2026 0 0 Raziskovalni podatki, na katerih temelji objava, so na voljo na https://zenodo.org/records/14270021. Nasl. z nasl. zaslona; Opis vira z dne 7. 3. 2026; 20 str. issue 1 Vol. 13 Jan. 2026 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 2026-01-07 528.8:630*18 2333-5084 10.1029/2025EA004544 270841347 https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025EA004544 1 a9cff54a-2531-11f1-aa40-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=42220 Earth_and_Space_Science_-_2026_-_Moudry_-_Spaceborne_Canopy_Height_Products_Should_Be_Complemented_With_Airborne_Laser.pdf Earth_and_Space_Science_-_2026_-_Moudry_-_Spaceborne_Canopy_Height_Products_Should_Be_Complemented_With_Airborne_Laser.pdf 1 3FDD640634C17DB584C823738001A91B a4ba4c1a1a211effb297b493092db813d763cbfdf8505de2fcea994584e31545 7e6a55ee-2533-11f1-aa40-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=42221 Znanstvenoraziskovalni center Slovenske akademije znanosti in umetnosti 0 0 0