Article
Environmental Sciences
Joanne C. White, Txomin Hermosilla, Michael A. Wulder, Nicholas C. Coops
Summary: This research utilizes remote sensing data to analyze the recovery of Canadian forested ecosystems in the past three decades. The study finds that harvested areas have a faster spectral recovery compared to areas affected by wildfire, and the recovery rate is influenced by ecozone, disturbance type, pre-disturbance land cover, and latitude. Airborne laser scanning data is used to evaluate whether recovered pixels meet United Nations benchmarks, with height benchmarks being easier to achieve. By analyzing the spatial patterns of spectral recovery rates, some areas are found to have slow recovery and difficulty achieving benchmarks, while others have rapid recovery.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Raul Hoffren, Hector Miranda, Manuel Pizarro, Pablo Tejero, Maria B. Garcia
Summary: Recent studies have found that small-scale climate diversification and climate microrefugia are important for organisms to escape or mitigate the impacts of current climate change. This study focused on a high roughness area in the Pyrenees and used a network of miniaturized sensors to investigate the effects of topography and vegetation on temperature and humidity. The results showed that topographic variables had a larger effect on above-ground temperature, while vegetation variables had a larger effect on maximum temperature. Forest canopy also played a significant role in the spatial diversity of microclimate and its ability to provide refuge from extreme temperatures and vapor pressure deficit. This integrative approach highlights the importance of preserving and managing forests to mitigate the impacts of climate change on biodiversity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Angela Tsao, Ikenna Nzewi, Ayodeji Jayeoba, Uzoma Ayogu, David B. Lobell
Summary: This study evaluated the performance of existing global canopy height map (CHM) products and a locally trained model using GEDI and optical satellite data in oil palm plantations in Nigeria. It found that existing CHMs performed poorly in the region, but the locally trained model performed well and reduced errors for short trees.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bibhash Nath, Wenge Ni-Meister
Summary: Forests are crucial for maintaining the Earth's energy balance, but their variability in canopy structure, topography, and vegetation background conditions can create uncertainties in modeling solar radiation. This study in a boreal region of Alaska analyzed seasonal variation in reflectance with respect to land cover classes, canopy structures, and topography, finding complex interactions between canopy structure and topography, especially during the snow season. The study also highlighted the significant influence of tree height, canopy cover, and rugosity on surface reflectance in different vegetation types.
Review
Fisheries
Spencer Dakin Kuiper, Nicholas C. C. Coops, Scott G. G. Hinch, Joanne C. C. White
Summary: Remote sensing technology has the potential to revolutionize freshwater fish habitat monitoring by providing information across large geographic areas, but the overwhelming number of platforms, sensors, and software available may hinder its widespread use. This review examines the fundamental characteristics of remote sensing technologies used for freshwater habitat characterization, reviews studies that have utilized these technologies, and identifies key habitat features, fish species, and regions that have been examined. The review also highlights the strengths and weaknesses of different remote sensing technologies, suggests future research directions, and provides important considerations for those interested in utilizing these technologies for freshwater fish habitat characterization.
FISH AND FISHERIES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Saverio Francini, Giovanni D'Amico, Elia Vangi, Costanza Borghi, Gherardo Chirici
Summary: Forests are vital in combating climate change by absorbing a significant portion of human carbon emissions. However, climate change itself is expected to increase and alter forest disturbances, affecting their carbon absorption capacity. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor forests using all available sources of information. In this study, Landsat and GEDI data were combined to monitor disturbances in Italian forests over a period of four decades. The results showed that both data sources provided valuable information for forest disturbance mapping.
Article
Forestry
Lucas K. Johnson, Michael J. Mahoney, Madeleine L. Desrochers, Colin M. Beier
Summary: Understanding historical forest dynamics is critical for assessing current forest climate benefits and projecting future benefits. This study utilized freely available data and open-source tools to map historical forest biomass at fine temporal and spatial resolution in New York State from 1990 to 2019.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Li Xu, Hongyan Lai, Jinge Yu, Shaolong Luo, Chaosheng Guo, Yingqun Gao, Wenwu Zhou, Shuwei Wang, Qingtai Shu
Summary: This study estimated the carbon storage of Quercus aquifolioides in Shangri-La by integrating GEDI and Landsat 9 data and established a random forest model for evaluation. The results showed that the evaluation precision of the random forest model was superior to that of the support vector machine method and bagging regression. The carbon storage of Quercus aquifolioides was primarily in the range of 8.22 to 94.63 t/hm², with a mean value of 42.44 t/hm², and the total carbon storage was about 5,374,137.62 t. The findings illustrated the feasibility of obtaining carbon storage data on a county scale by combining GEDI LiDAR data with Landsat 9 optical data and suggested a new perspective for estimating other forest structure parameters.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Svetlana Turubanova, Peter Potapov, Matthew C. Hansen, Xinyuan Li, Alexandra Tyukavina, Amy H. Pickens, Andres Hernandez-Serna, Adrian Pascual Arranz, Juan Guerra-Hernandez, Cornelius Senf, Tuomas Hame, Ruben Valbuena, Lars Eklundh, Olga Brovkina, Barbora Navratilova, Jan Novotny, Nancy Harris, Fred Stolle
Summary: European forests have shown a slight increase in tree canopy extent over the past two decades, with the most significant growth observed in Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, and the British Isles. However, after 2016, there has been a decline in tree canopy extent in Europe. Some regions, particularly Fennoscandia, have experienced a reduction in tree canopy extent between 2001 and 2021. Additionally, the continental extent of tall tree canopy forests has decreased during this period.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Peter Potapov, Xinyuan Li, Andres Hernandez-Serna, Alexandra Tyukavina, Matthew C. Hansen, Anil Kommareddy, Amy Pickens, Svetlana Turubanova, Hao Tang, Carlos Edibaldo Silva, John Armston, Ralph Dubayah, J. Bryan Blair, Michelle Hofton
Summary: The study utilized GEDI and Landsat data to create a global forest canopy height map, enabling monitoring of forest height and dynamics. The integration of GEDI data with optical imagery demonstrated in the study provides new possibilities for historical analysis and future monitoring.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Jose Manuel Fernandez-Guisuraga, Susana Suarez-Seoane, Paulo M. Fernandes, Victor Fernandez-Garcia, Alfonso Fernandez-Manso, Carmen Quintano, Leonor Calvo
Summary: The study found that estimates of total and overstory aboveground biomass were more accurate using LiDAR and spectral data, compared to understory biomass. Burn severity showed a stronger and nonlinear response to total and overstory aboveground biomass, while the relationship with understory biomass was weaker.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Austin Madson, Yongwei Sheng
Summary: Of the approximately 6700 lakes and reservoirs larger than 1 km(2) in the Contiguous United States, only around 6% are actively monitored and have data available for download. Remote sensing analysis using NASA's ICESat-2 data was used to derive water level changes for about 6200 lakes and reservoirs in order to understand the hydrological situation across the CONUS. The results show high agreement with in situ gage data, with a mean squared error of 1 cm and a mean absolute error of 6 cm.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Jiawei Hou, Albert I. J. M. Van Dijk, Luigi J. Renzullo
Summary: A method for reconstructing floodplain water dynamics using Landsat and LiDAR observations was developed, accurately capturing the development and retreat of flood events. The algorithms developed can increase image availability and assist in managing human water use and environmental health.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michael J. Campbell, Philip E. Dennison, Kelly L. Kerr, Simon C. Brewer, William R. L. Anderegg
Summary: The study demonstrates that the combination of Landsat and GEDI metrics produces the best predictive model for AGB estimation in dryland woodland ecosystems. A methodological framework was proposed to link field-measured AGB with ALS data, and link ALS-modeled AGB with satellite data. The positional uncertainty of large footprint spaceborne lidar may propagate to the predictive models.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lonesome Malambo, Sorin Popescu, Meng Liu
Summary: By combining ICESat-2 data with ancillary datasets, spatially complete canopy height data can be generated at a regional level in the United States. The model shows reasonable accuracy in predicting canopy height and performs better than the existing global dataset when compared with airborne lidar-derived measurements.
Article
Forestry
Tomi Karjalainen, Lauri Mehtatalo, Petteri Packalen, Jukka Malinen, Erik Naesset, Terje Gobakken, Matti Maltamo
Summary: Forest management inventories assisted by airborne laser scanning can be calibrated with local measurements to improve the accuracy of stand level merchantable and sawlog volumes predictions.
Article
Forestry
Johannes Breidenbach, David Ellison, Hans Petersson, Kari T. Korhonen, Helena M. Henttonen, Jorgen Wallerman, Jonas Fridman, Terje Gobakken, Rasmus Astrup, Erik Naesset
Summary: Using satellite-based maps and National Forest Inventory observations, this study finds that the ability of the maps to detect harvested areas abruptly increased after 2015 in Finland and Sweden, rather than the actual harvested area.
ANNALS OF FOREST SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Ana de Lera Garrido, Terje Gobakken, Marius Hauglin, Erik Naesset, Ole Martin Bollandsas
Summary: The aim of this study was to analyze the accuracy of forest attribute predictions from the nationwide forest attribute map (SR16). Field observations from 33 forest inventory projects in Norway were used for validation. The overall results showed satisfactory accuracy, but there were large differences in accuracy among different inventory projects, with forest structure being the most influential factor.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Marie-Claude Jutras-Perreault, Erik Naesset, Terje Gobakken, Hans Ole Orka
Summary: This study utilized ALS data and vegetation indices from optical images to predict the presence of standing dead trees in a managed forest in Southern Norway. Area-based regression models were initially tested but proved to be statistically insignificant due to limited ground reference information. A tree-based approach, however, successfully identified standing dead trees based on ALS point cloud data and vegetation indices.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marie-Claude Jutras-Perreault, Terje Gobakken, Erik Naesset, Hans Ole orka
Summary: This study proposes a tree-based approach that combines remote sensing data to predict the presence of standing dead trees (SDT) in forests. By comparing different remotely sensed data sources, it was found that NDVI calculated from aerial images accurately predicts the presence of SDT, while NDVI calculated from satellite images is less accurate.
Article
Remote Sensing
Endre Hansen, Julius Wold, Michele Dalponte, Terje Gobakken, Lennart Noordermeer, Hans Ole Orka
Summary: The study applied area-based approaches to predict rot occurrence, rot severity, and rot volume. Random Forest models were built and validated using remotely sensed data and ground reference data. The results showed that rot volume models performed better due to the correlation between timber volume and rot volume.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF REMOTE SENSING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ritwika Mukhopadhyay, Erik Naesset, Terje Gobakken, Ida Marielle Mienna, Jaime Candelas Bielza, Gunnar Austrheim, Henrik Jan Persson, Hans Ole orka, Bjorn-Eirik Roald, Ole Martin Bollandsas
Summary: Due to climate change, treelines are shifting to higher altitudes and latitudes. Accurately estimating the biomass of trees and shrubs in alpine areas is crucial for carbon reporting. This study utilized remotely sensed data, such as airborne laser scanning (ALS) and digital aerial photogrammetry (DAP), to estimate aboveground biomass (AGB) in a treeline ecotone in Southern Norway. Despite weak fit of the prediction models, the estimates showed adequate precision with relatively narrow confidence intervals (CIs). The results suggest that ALS and DAP data can be effectively used for AGB estimation in treeline ecotones.
Article
Forestry
Victor F. Strimbu, Tron Eid, Terje Gobakken
Summary: This paper introduces a software tool called GAYA 2.0 for simulating forest development and performing scenario analysis to evaluate carbon sequestration potential, net present value, and climate change impacts under different management regimes. A case study in Norway is presented to demonstrate the tool's potential, showing changes in optimal management strategies and future predictions of forest carbon balance.
Article
Forestry
Ana Aza, A. Maarit I. Kallio, Timo Pukkala, Ari Hietala, Terje Gobakken, Rasmus Astrup
Summary: This study examines the economic benefits of converting rot-infested Norway spruce stands to Scots pine. It proposes a Precision forestry method to determine the optimal tree species at a pixel level in heterogeneous stands. The findings suggest that shifting to Scots pine is more profitable when rot levels are high, and the method increases net present value in almost every stand.
Article
Forestry
Benjamin Allen, Michele Dalponte, Ari M. Hietala, Hans Ole Orka, Erik Naesset, Terje Gobakken
Summary: This study aimed to use remote sensing to detect rot in spruce forests in Norway. The results indicate that an airborne hyperspectral imager can accurately classify the presence or absence of rot in a single-tree-based framework.
Article
Forestry
Ana de Lera Garrido, Terje Gobakken, Hans Orka, Erik Naesset, Ole Bollandsas
Summary: This study assessed and compared the performance of three different calibration approaches for externally predictive models in terms of time and space. The results showed that local calibration reduced prediction errors and approaches based on observed prediction errors on local field plots were better than using reparametrized models.
Article
Forestry
Lennart Noordermeer, Erik Naesset, Terje Gobakken
Summary: Newly developed positioning systems in cut-to-length harvesters enable georeferencing of individual trees with submeter accuracy, which has emerged as a valuable tool for forest inventory. The study found that larger grid cells result in more accurate timber volume predictions and are less affected by positioning errors.