Terrestrial laser scanning can be used to create highly detailed 3D models of trees. While traditional multi-scan methods capture complete datasets, they are slow and labor-intensive. This study explores whether single-scan datasets, which are simpler and faster to collect but can only capture part of a tree’s structure, can still provide useful biological information. This study uses datasets from both synthetic trees and natural forests to show that, even though the structure captured is incomplete, single-scan datasets can reliably detect the same species traits and scaling patterns previously only detected in multi-scan datasets. These findings mean that single-scan TLS data can be a practical tool for forest monitoring, allowing for more frequent forest surveys without sacrificing key insights into tree biology and forest health.