MAMBO partners have helped create a new open dataset that reveals detailed information about vegetation structure across seven demonstration sites in five European countries: Mols Bjerge National Park (Denmark), Reserve Naturelle Nationale du Bagnas (France), Oostvaardersplassen (Netherlands), Salisbury Plain (United Kingdom), Knepp Estate (United Kingdom), Monks Wood (United Kingdom), and the island of Comino (Malta). Using airborne laser scanning (ALS) surveys, scientists produced 35 different measurements describing vegetation height, cover, and density, as well as other structural features.

The sites include a wide variety of habitats such as forests, grasslands, marshes, farmland and Mediterranean scrub. The data was processed using Laserfarm, a standardised workflow that turns raw laser scans into ready-to-use maps at a resolution of 10 metres.

This information can be used to measure canopy height, map hedgerows and tree lines, and assess how open or dense habitats are. It will help ecologists monitor changes in landscapes and improve conservation planning, supporting MAMBO’s goal of building a harmonised biodiversity observation network across Europe.

The complete dataset, along with site maps and processing code, is freely available through Zenodo, making it easier for researchers, land managers, and policymakers to use this data for nature conservation.