Digital Conservation: 3D Capturing Mexico's Hidden Ecosystems

Case Studies2025.05.128 min read

Whispers of the Vanishing Wild: Preserving Veracruz's Hidden Waterfall Through Digital Conservation

Why 3D Digital Conservation Matters for Vanishing Forests

As ancient forests disappear at the rate of 10 million hectares annually, the hidden jungles of Veracruz represent one of Mexico's last untouched biodiversity sanctuaries. Within these emerald depths lie undocumented species, ancestral ecological relationships, and vital carbon sequestration systems that may hold keys to climate resilience.

Veracruz jungle waterfall with a rainbow, a vulnerable ecosystem preserved as a 3D digital twin

The digital preservation of these environments creates living archives that allow scientists to study intricate ecosystems without physical disruption. As human activity encroaches on these pristine areas and climate change accelerates habitat transformation, these digital twins become increasingly precious—frozen moments of ecological time that may outlive their physical counterparts.

[Video from https://www.arquiavis.com/digitizing-the-wild]

How 3D Capture Hits "Save" on Threatened Ecosystems

One hectare of upper‑Amazon forest can pack about 300 different tree species—more diversity than many temperate countries hold in total. From those wild chemistries come cures: 74 % of the top 150 prescription drugs rely on compounds first isolated from plants.

Veracruz is a major deforestation hotspot in Mexico. Nationally, Mexico lost 4.89 million hectares of tree cover (a 9.2% decrease) from 2001-2023, largely due to agricultural expansion and urbanization. This habitat destruction fuels immense biodiversity loss. Globally, over 100 species vanish daily from deforestation.

Forests used to disappear in silence. Their loss registers as little more than a footnote in humanity's ledger of progress. Until now.

High‑fidelity 3D capture offers a way to hit "Save" on forests. Projects like Hexagon's Green Cubes scan rainforest canopies and understories with airborne LiDAR and ground sensors, building centimeter‑accurate digital twins that scientists can measure, query, and revisit long after the chainsaws fall silent.

These living models preserve structural data, species distribution, and even acoustic signatures, creating a baseline for carbon accounting, early‑warning analytics, and storytelling that can rally funding for on‑the‑ground protection. In other words, 3D content tech doesn't just record vanishing worlds; it keeps them in play for the researchers, doctors, and communities who will need them next.

Documenting Biodiversity Before It Disappears

This is the very challenge ArquiaVis has taken up: deploying 3D context capture as a living archive that empowers us to safeguard, study, and ultimately tell the stories of Earth's most vulnerable landscapes.

"The goal of this project is to document environmental change by creating digital twins of vulnerable landscapes over time," explains Carlos Bausa Martinez, founder of ArquiaVis. "These digital reconstructions highlight the impact of human activity and climate change in ways that statistics and reports alone cannot convey."

Technology Implementation: Lixel K1 and 3DGS

Scanning Equipment: XGRIDS Lixel K1 and LCC

ArquiaVis utilized XGRIDS' Lixel K1 spatial camera to capture data, and LCC with 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) technology to process the data.

First-person view of the LCC Scan app showing a live point cloud while scanning the jungle with a handheld 3D scanner

Flat-lay of field capture gear including drones, a handheld scanner, camera and laptop used for reality capture

ArquiaVis Travel scanning equipment

Key technical details include:

Equipment weight: Around 1 kg, backpack-portable
Easy operation: Single-operator, one button activates scanning
Processing software: LCC with map fusion capabilities to merge multiple captures into one cohesive deliverable
File format: Optimized for manageable file sizes while maintaining detail

Previous photogrammetry methods produced unwieldy digital meshes requiring extensive post-processing. 3DGS technology eliminated this issue while accurately capturing vegetation complexity.

Surveyor navigating large boulders at the waterfall base while performing spatial capture of the canyon

Carlos Scanning (Photo by Dirce Medina)

Operator flying a drone above the jungle canyon to gather aerial data for 3D reconstruction

Dirce Operating Drone (Photo by Carlos BM)

Field Scanning Methodology in Dense Jungle

The team employed specific techniques to maximize data quality in this challenging environment:

Lighting strategy: Fieldwork was deliberately scheduled during overcast days to ensure diffuse lighting conditions. This minimized harsh shadows and blown-out highlights across both forest canopy and open waterfall areas, creating more even and detailed scans.
Terrain adaptation: "When planning the scanning mission, my goal was to follow a grid-like path," notes the team lead. "However, the reality of the terrain—steep canyon walls, deep water, and massive boulders near the waterfall—quickly turned it into a technical challenge more akin to rock climbing." The surveyor often navigated single-handedly, using one hand for stabilization and the other to operate the scanner.
Equipment protection protocol: A 30-meter safety buffer was maintained from the waterfall to protect equipment from water mist. While this slightly reduced resolution in that specific area, it ensured equipment integrity throughout the expedition.
Connectivity solution: The team discovered the scanner didn't require direct signal range, allowing exploration deeper into the canyon without returning to areas with better mobile coverage.
Capture pattern: "During the survey, I focused on walking back and forth along key areas, though most of the time the path was linear due to dense vegetation and rugged rocks," explains Carlos. For rocky sections, climbing was necessary to capture textures from the tops of formations.
Session management: Individual scans were limited to 5-10 minutes to optimize processing efficiency.

The team was surprised by how effectively the technology captured dynamic elements: "When we first reached the waterfall and river rapids, we had no clear idea how the scene would ultimately translate into the digital model. It was a rewarding surprise to see that the LCC software rendered the motion of the water with a beautifully smooth, natural blur—similar to a long-exposure photograph, but in three dimensions", explained Carlos.

Technical Challenges Overcome in the Field

Field operator walking a jungle trail capturing a 3D scan with a handheld spatial camera and backpack

Carlos scanning (Photo by Dirce Medina)

The Project Successfully Addressed Several Field Challenges:

Challenge	Solution	Result
Dense vegetation	3DGS processing algorithms	Accurate plant representation without mesh complexity
Variable lighting	Scheduled capture during overcast conditions	Consistent texture quality across environments
Remote location	Lightweight, autonomous equipment	Complete capture despite difficult terrain
Moving elements	Dynamic capture capabilities	Realistic representation of flowing water

Hidden Veracruz waterfall framed by dense rainforest foliage, documented for cultural preservation

Waterfall Photo by Carlos Bausa

Conservation Applications of the 3D Digital Twin

The digital twin created through this process enables:

Scientific monitoring of ecological changes without physical disturbance
Documentation of indigenous territories facing development pressure
Immersive natural experiences for educational institutions
Visual evidence for conservation organizations advocating for protection

The ArquiaVis team believe that creating online virtual tours is "one of the most effective ways to showcase remote locations and make them accessible to a global audience".

Implementation Recommendations for 3D Conservation Projects

For conservation organizations, government agencies, and technical teams looking to implement similar projects:

Focus on capturing high detail in threatened ecosystems
Partner with context capture specialists for technical expertise
Scan during optimal conditions: early morning, overcast skies, minimal wind
Keep individual scanning sessions under 10 minutes for processing efficiency
Use a wearable harness or rig to free up the operator's hands to improve safety without sacrificing data completeness
Integrate scans with additional media for comprehensive documentation
Relight and edit the results in software tools such as Unreal Engine 5.5 to achieve the final desired effect

Lixel CyberColor reconstruction of the canyon loaded in Unreal Engine, showing photoreal and point-cloud views

Unreal screenshot

Beyond the Jungle: ArquiaVis's Digital Preservation Mission

The Veracruz project represents just one facet of ArquiaVis's broader vision. Founded by Carlos Bausa Martinez, an architect specialized in sustainable design and photographer, ArquiaVis captures the essence and stories of diverse spaces—from historical buildings like London's iconic architecture to natural environments affected by climate change.

ArquiaVis's portfolio extends across continents and contexts:

Historic Preservation: Digitizing architectural heritage from medieval Spanish fortresses to London's landmarks
Island Ecosystems: Documenting vulnerable Mediterranean islands facing coastal erosion
Cultural Structures: Preserving traditional stone huts in Croatia that represent disappearing rural practices
Castle Documentation: Creating digital twins of historic fortifications throughout Europe

The team's approach breaks free from the constraints of traditional photography, using 3D technologies to offer immersive, multi-perspective experiences that connect viewers with spaces in entirely new ways.

Looking Forward: Scaling Digital Conservation

By bringing Mexico's hidden waterfall and countless other threatened ecosystems into digital form with such fidelity, we expand the circle of those who can know these places, who can advocate for their protection, and who can ensure that when future generations ask what once existed in these forests, we can show them more than just photographs and statistics.

Experience Digital Conservation Firsthand

See how XGRIDS technology and ArquiaVis's vision come together to preserve our world's most precious places. Visit www.arquiavis.com to explore their complete portfolio of international projects and learn how similar approaches could be applied to conservation challenges in your region.