OPERATIONAL APPLICATION OF HELICOPTER-MOUNTED LIDAR FOR LARVAL HABITAT MAPPING AND TREATMENT REFINEMENT IN LEE...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Geospatial Technology
• Public Health Entomology

Background:

• Mosquito control programs require accurate mapping of larval habitats.
• Coastal and inland flooding influences mosquito breeding grounds.
• Traditional methods for habitat delineation can be imprecise and costly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement helicopter-mounted Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) for high-resolution elevation modeling.
• To refine larval mosquito habitat treatment boundaries in Lee County.
• To assess the cost-benefit and operational effectiveness of LiDAR in mosquito management.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Ranger ULTRA laser scanning system on an Airbus H125 helicopter.
• Acquired LiDAR data covering approximately 184,567 ha during the 2026 dry season.
• Processed data to achieve 2.0 cm vertical accuracy and >30 points/m² density.

Main Results:

• Generated high-resolution elevation models for Lee County.
• Enabled precise delineation of tidal and rainfall-driven flooding zones.
• Demonstrated potential for reduced treatment areas and larvicide costs.

Conclusions:

• Large-scale LiDAR implementation is feasible for integrated mosquito management.
• LiDAR technology enhances operational effectiveness and cost-efficiency in mosquito control.
• This represents a significant advancement in applying geospatial technology to public health.