Recently classified as a unique species by the IUCN, African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) are critically endangered due to severe poaching. With limited knowledge about their ecological role due to the dense tropical forests they inhabit in central Africa, it is unclear how the Afrotropics are influenced by elephants. Although their role as seed dispersers is well known, they may also drive large‐scale processes that determine forest structure through the creation of elephant trails and browsing the understory, allowing larger, carbon‐dense trees to succeed. Multiple scales of lidar were collected by NASA in Lopé National Park, Gabon from 2015 to 2022. Utilizing two airborne lidar datasets in an African forest elephant stronghold, detailed canopy structural information was used in conjunction with elephant trail data to determine how forest structure varies on and off trails. Forest along elephant trails displayed different structural characteristics than forested areas off trails, with lower canopy height, canopy cover, and different vertical distribution of plant density. Less plant area density was found on trails at 1 m in height, while more vegetation was found at 12 m, compared to off trail locations. Trails in forest areas with previous logging history had lower plant area in the top of the canopy. Forest elephants can be considered as “logging light” ecosystem engineers, affecting canopy structure through browsing and movement. Both airborne lidar scales were able to capture elephant impact along trails, with the high‐resolution discrete return lidar performing higher than waveform lidar.

中文翻译：

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使用多尺度激光雷达确定非洲森林大象足迹的冠层结构变化

最近被世界自然保护联盟列为独特物种的非洲森林象（环齿象）由于严重的偷猎而处于极度濒危状态。由于非洲热带地区栖息在非洲中部茂密的热带森林，人们对它们的生态作用了解有限，目前尚不清楚非洲热带地区如何受到大象的影响。尽管它们作为种子传播者的作用是众所周知的，但它们也可能通过创建大象足迹和浏览林下植被来推动决定森林结构的大规模过程，从而使更大的碳密集树木取得成功。美国宇航局 (NASA) 于 2015 年至 2022 年在加蓬洛佩国家公园收集了多个尺度的激光雷达。利用非洲森林大象据点的两个机载激光雷达数据集，详细的树冠结构信息与大象踪迹数据结合使用，以确定森林结构在不同地区的变化情况。并偏离轨道。大象步道沿线的森林与步道外的森林地区表现出不同的结构特征，树冠高度、树冠覆盖度较低，植物密度的垂直分布也不同。与越野路线相比，1 m 高度处的植物面积密度较低，而 12 m 高度处的植被较多。具有先前伐木历史的森林地区的小径在树冠顶部的植物面积较低。森林象可以被视为“记录光”的生态系统工程师，通过浏览和运动影响树冠结构。两种机载激光雷达秤都能够捕获大象沿踪迹的撞击，高分辨率离散返回激光雷达的性能高于波形激光雷达。