Forest road design and calculation of biomass removal volume using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) combined with LiDAR sensors

¹ Department of Forestry and Natural Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
² Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, Faculty of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, 68200, Orestiada, Greece

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

This study explores the application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) equipped with LiDAR and photogrammetric sensors for designing a third-class forest road and estimating biomass removal volume in a protected mountainous region of Northern Greece. High-resolution orthophotos and a LiDAR-derived Digital Terrain Model (DTM) were generated from two UAV missions using the DJI Matrice 350 RTK and Zenmuse L2 sensor. The acquired spatial data were processed using DJI Terra and ArcGIS Pro, allowing the digital alignment of a 1.65 km road according to Greek engineering specifications. Using the “Dasiki Odos” software, cut and fill volumes were automatically calculated, and a raster analysis of DSM–DTM was performed to spatially identify biomass clearance zones. The DTM exhibited sub-decimeter vertical accuracy (maximum deviation ±6.2 cm), confirming the reliability of UAV–LiDAR integration in steep, vegetated environments. The study demonstrates that UAV-based workflows can replace traditional field surveys in complex forest terrains, offering both operational efficiency and environmental compatibility. The methods used are scalable and applicable in sustainable forest infrastructure planning.