The potential of airborne laser scanning

In June 2021, a study published in Nature claimed that the felling of forests in Sweden had increased dramatically, something that later turned out not to be true. The statement was met with great criticism and was rejected by, among others, the Swedish Forest Agency and SLU. The study, which was based on analysis of satellite data, shows what superstition there is about satellite data.
An alternative to satellite data is airborne laser scanning, and the technological development is exciting. Laser scanning is an important tool in forestry, and we spoke with Håkan Olsson, professor emeritus at the Department of Forest Resource Management, SLU, to ask about the differences between satellite images and airborne laser scanning, and to hear more about the potential of the technology.