Work group Prof. Dr. Christian Ammer

From many studies it is known that timber quality of a single tree is substantially influenced by the competition from neighboring trees which in turn is a function of the silvicultural management applied. However, little is known to what extent timber quality notably of broadleaves is affected by the mixture type and hence by neighborhood identity. So far determining timber quality and quantifying the competition status of a tree required extensive on site measurements which were, for example in case of crown attributes, partly defective. In contrast to traditional measurements, terrestrial laser scanning (TSL) offers the option to get a fully three-dimensional picture of a group of trees. Thereby, TSL is a useful tool to quantitatively describe forest structure, competition between trees but may also enables the analysis of stem attributes determining timber quality such as straightness and branchiness of trees in relation to neighborhood competition and species identity. Against this background the objective of the project is to yield information to what degree intra- and interspecific competition determine stem quality. Both, neighborhood competition and stem quality attributes shall be quantified by using TSL. Therefore, candidates should be willing to familiarize themselves with the TSL technique including data processing and programming routines for data analyses. Candidates should preferentially have a background in forest Sciences or biology.