The grant application concerns the purchase of a new basic structure acquisition: a laser scanner using a mobile platform (both backpack, handheld and car-mounting is possible and therefore allowing a broad range of applications). Such system is currently not available at Ghent University, and would complement existing work with terrestrial laser scanning (and overcome some of the limitations of the terrestrial non-mobile systems). This application for the purchase of a mobile laser scanner is supported by four professors, across three research labs and two faculties. Each co-promoter has identified clear research needs within their own applications. We identified the potential use of this infrastructure in the broad context of global tree monitoring and carbon monitoring, urban trees and rewilding of cities, microclimate research, agroforestry and soil surface dynamics.