SCIENTIST SAYS / NGC MONTHLY SERIES / MARCH 2026
Dr Benjamin Brede - LiDAR Expert
Tue 17 March 2026, NGC Communication Team
Dr Benjamin Brede conducting fieldwork with the RIEGL
VZ-400i in Ghana in January 2026. Photo: Johannes Wilk
SCIENTIST
SAYS – OUR MONTHLY INTERVIEW SERIES Dr Benjamin Brede is work group lead for Integrated Sensing group at
the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Germany. Benjamin’s main
research interests include vegetation characterisation based on proximal
sensing, in particular terrestrial (TLS) and UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)-based LiDAR (ULS), and the upscaling of in situ and proximal observations to satellite scale for calibration
and validation.
Hi Benjamin, how did you become interested in this specific field of research?
My interest in vegetation remote sensing really developed during my MSc (Master of Science) studies at Wageningen University, where remote sensing topics from agriculture to forests, from satellites to UAVs, were covered. I already joined TLS and UAV campaigns, including one to Guyana during my MSc. I was intrigued by the possibilities to capture your own data and, based on the data, telling something about very complex plants and canopies. During my PhD at Wageningen, I had the chance to join a training for the RIEGL RiCopter UAV lidar system. The opportunity to combine laser scanning with my UAV (drone) flying really caught me.
What is your role in NextGenCarbon?
In work package 2 (WP2, In-situ Supersites & RS Integration), together with my GFZ colleagues Johannes Wilk and Linda Lück, we collect and analyse ULS data at several ICOS sites across Europe. We plan the campaigns in coordination with Geike de Sloover and Bert Gielen of the University Antwerp, who collect TLS at the same sites. Together, we want to make an inventory of all trees at these sites, and estimate their height and crown properties, their biomass and stored carbon. These data can then be used to build more accurate forest models that help us improve predictions of how these forests respond to climate change.
Together, we want to make an inventory of all trees at these sites, and estimate their height and crown properties, their biomass and stored carbon. These data can then be used to build more accurate forest models that help us improve predictions of how these forests respond to climate change.
What are you excited about the NextGenCarbon project?
I really enjoy working with the ICOS network. All people working at these sites are very supportive and have already built a great infrastructure. It is like standing on the shoulders of giants. And it is very cool to contribute to this!
Who do you think would find the results interesting?
Primarily, I think of scientists as users of our results. Detailed tree information is hard to collect, and even at the ICOS sites not all the areas around the towers can be inventoried with the detail that TLS and ULS allow. Since there is a whole range of other measurements, all data can be combined to increase their usage potential and value.
Where can our readers find you and your work?
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Read about Benjamin's work in the NextGenCarbon news article: Improved understanding of forest structure with terrestrial LiDAR