LIDAR mission in Sebitoli

After 4 months of mission preparation by the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN) to prepare the flight plans and obtain authorisations from the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the army and the civil aviation authorities, the OFVi teams were able to launch the Trinity drone over the tropical forest of the Kibale National Park in Uganda from 10 to 17 February 2024. More specifically, the mapping concerns the Sebitoli area, covering 25 km² to the north of the park. It corresponds to an area of mid-altitude forest (1,600m) partially degraded by logging in the 1970s and includes a 200-metre strip beyond the forest edge following the vegetation cover in the agricultural interface zone. This area is home to endangered species such as two species of elephant (forest and savannah) and their hybrids, chimpanzees, golden cats and an abundant and diverse avifauna and entomofauna.

This study area corresponds to the first super site where the various Pillar 1 methods will be tested and validated.

The Sebitoli Chimpanzee Project (SCP), founded in 2008 by MNHN professor Sabrina Krief, organised the mission and proposed the SCP station as a launch pad. These LIDAR flights were made possible thanks to the expertise of Lieutenant Smith of the Uganda People's Defence Force and the French mapping company Avion Jaune. It should be noted that in 2023, the Sebitoli station had already provided training in manual and automatic drone piloting for African technicians.

Analyses of these flights are currently being processed.