A rapidly scanning lidar system, the Laser Cloud Mapper (LCM), was operated to determine and assess its sensitivity as well as its mapping capability for the remote characterization of airborne biological organisms. Both field and aerosol chamber experiments were conducted. The test bioaerosol was produced by aerosolization of aqueous suspensions of Bacillus subtilis var. niger sp. globiggi (BG) in spore form; the relative concentration (by volume) of BG spores in tap water was varied from 0.001 to 100%. In a few additional trials, other biological simulants were studied. The statistical procedures formulated to analyze the linear depolarization ratios derived from the lidar data, and the results of this analysis are described with the objective of characterizing the biodetection capabilities and limitations (e.g., lower limits of detection, minimum mean time to detection for a given mean time between false alarms, etc.) of the LCM.