Carbomap’s Carbon Emissions and Offsetting (2013-2014)

Carbomap recently calculated our carbon emissions for 2013-14, and we found that we had generated 1.65 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

In the grand scheme of ‘corporate’ carbon emissions this is a tiny amount, however we feel that this doesn’t detract from the fact that we are having an adverse impact on our natural environment (however small). And by starting to monitor and manage this now we will be able to keep tabs on this as Carbomap grows. As an explicitly environmental company, we believe in running a carbon neutral business, we decided to offset the emissions that we were unable to avoid.

How did we calculated our carbon emissions?

Our carbon emissions were calculated in line with the most recent Defra guidelines, and carbon conversion factors, published in 2014. Our emissions are reported in CO2 equivalent, which is the global warming potential of different gases (such as Methane) measured in the reference term of Carbon Dioxide. It allows us to fully account for our environmental impact, and doesn’t limit us to only carbon when we fully understand that other gases have an impact on global warming too.

We determined our share of the electricity and heat usage for our office in Appleton Tower by using our proportion of floor area to the building as a whole and applying this to the energy usage for the building. These came to 0.88 tonnes of CO2 equivalent for electricity, and 0.36 tCO2e for the heating.

We also included our business travel for the year, which included a handful of short-haul flights, and two train journeys. These came to 0.35 tCO2e for flights, and 0.06 tCO2e for rail travel.

Currently Carbomap is a paperless office (though we recycle any waste that we do accumulate), so this hasn’t been included. Neither is water, as this is notoriously difficult to monitor where it isn’t metered.

How did we offset them?

Having done research into the organisations which offer carbon offsets for sale, we decided to go with The CarbonNeutral Company. Having had professional experience with them in the past we knew their reputation, and the standards to which their offsetting projects adhere to. Their portfolio includes a number of forestry projects, including REDD+ schemes in Cambodia, Madagascar, and Borneo (to name a few). Carbomap have long been proponents of REDD+ [Blog 1; Blog 2; Blog 3] as a mechanism for developing countries to maintain economic development, whilst minimising impact on the natural environment (unlike many existing developed nations), ensures the protection of key forest ecosystems, and provides financial compensation to the local communities and countries for doing so.

What is carbon offsetting and why has Carbomap chosen to do this?

Carbon offsetting is the process whereby carbon emissions are reduced in one place to compensate for emissions made elsewhere. By paying for the carbon offsets, it is designed to encourage emitters to reduce their carbon emissions. In the context of Carbomap, we create carbon emissions simply by having an office, using electricity, and travelling. However, we believe in an environmentally friendly future for the planet, and we voluntarily decide to offset these. Also, given that we work in the forestry sector, and hope to benefit and contribute to the development of schemes such as REDD+ we feel it is only appropriate that we feed back into this system. Not only does this account for our carbon emissions, but it also aids forest conservation and the protection of biodiversity, whilst aiding international poverty alleviation efforts. For us it is about much more than the carbon.

Going forward, what are we doing to limit our carbon emissions?

A common criticism of the carbon offsetting ‘industry’ is that it does nothing to dissuade organisations from reducing their emissions, as they can simply offset them elsewhere. However, our experience is that the cost of carbon offsets itself can encourage this reduction. We are also keen to limit and reduce our carbon emissions (indeed it is written into our ethics policy). We already limit the amount of paper we use, and follow standard tricks such as turning lights off, and powering down computers at night. Given that Carbomap operate internationally we try to limit our travel emissions too, we regularly use Skype for conducting long-distance meetings where we can, negating the need to meet in person (which would incur significant emissions from travel). We also have some exciting announcements coming up, which further contribute to our commitment to limiting our environmental impact. Keep your eyes peeled!

What parameters influence forest carbon storage?

Not all forests have the same capability for storing carbon. “Forests”, as a generic term for a grouping of trees, inherently demonstrate a wide range of variability; giving rise to the boreal forests of the northern hemisphere, the miombo woodlands of Africa, and the dense rainforests of the Amazon, as a few examples. The level of carbon stored within a forest is highly dependent on the influence of key characteristics such as climate, tree species, and forest structure. Some forests can even be classified as carbon sources (giving out more carbon than they take in!), as opposed to carbon sinks.

We have conducted a short review of some of the relevant parameters:

 

1) Species

Yasuni National Park, Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador. Author: Andrew Wallinski

Trees typically store more carbon than smaller plants. Therefore, a woodland is always a bigger carbon sink of carbon in comparison to grasslands of a similar size, even if it a plantation forest.

The ‘ideal’ tree for carbon storage is one that grows quickly and has a long life, however this combination of characteristics is rarely found in a single species, and for this reason, it is difficult to select a “perfect species”. A fast growing ‘poplar’ might be the best in some areas of the world, but a long living ‘oak’ might be the ideal solution in others.

The ‘perfect species’ for any given forest has to be considered in relation to the geography of its location. When carrying out reforestation it is of fundamental importance to use local non-invasive species because they are better suited to the climate, soil type and geography of the area. Indigenous species also ensure the preservation of local biodiversity. This is particularly true if a mix of species is used which reflects the natural state of tree species diversity – remember different species perform different roles in the forest ecosystem.

 

2) Forest structure

Miombo in Nkhotakota Game Reserve, Malawi. Author: Geoff Gallice from Gainesville, FL, USA.

A dense woodland has more plants and multiple canopy layers, and can therefore store more carbon compared to an area with a sparse tree population. For this reason, forest management needs to maintain a considerable amount of ground cover in order to retain higher levels of carbon storage.

Properly managed forests can function as strong carbon sinks and can simultaneously provide consistent wood production. Forest management that leads to the clearing of large patches of forest, reduces the local biodiversity, and can undesirably transform the forest from a carbon sink into a carbon source.

 

3) Latitude

Norwegian boreal forest in early winter. Author: Orcaborealis

Although latitude is known to strongly influence the tree species contained of a particular woodland, this parameter also influences many other forest features. For example, climatic regions related to specific latitudes influence the way in which carbon is stored. In boreal forests, more than 80% of carbon is stored in the soil because low temperatures slow down the decomposition of biomass, and therefore reduce the nutrient recycling rate.

Tropical forests instead maintain a warm temperature throughout the year, which causes rapid recycling of nutrients all year round. For this reason the carbon stored in a tropical forest is more or less equally distributed between soil and vegetation.

 

Calculating the carbon stored in a forest is not a simple task because of the complexity, and influence due to multiple variables. For this reason, Carbomap has spent years working to refine our modus operandi to achieve a high level of accuracy in our carbon calculation.

Author: Sara Ligi

References

Anon. Which trees offset global warming best? Earth Talk, Environmental Magazine. Available at http://environment.about.com/od/whatyoucando/a/best_trees.htm

Dixon, R.; Brown, S.; Houghton, R.; Solomon, A.; Trexler, M.; Wisniewski, J. 1994. Carbon Pools and Flux of global forest ecosystems. Available online at: http://academic.engr.arizona.edu/HWR/Brooks/GC572-2004/readings/dixon.pdf

Malhi, Y.; Baldocchi, D.; Jarvis,P. 1999. The Carbon Balance of tropical, temperate and boreal forests. Available at:  http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/biometlab/pdf/mahli_pce_1998%2022_715.pdf

LiDAR drone system maps height of rainforest for the first time

Carbomap, a UK forest mapping company today announced that it has collaborated with l’Avion Jaune S.A.R.L and IRD (Institut de recherche pour le développement) in France to complete the first canopy height model of a rainforest using data from the first true UAV-ready LiDAR system (called YellowScan®), an approach which has never been applied before in the tropics.

The project, CANOPOR, coordinated by IRD was funded through the “Investissements d’Avenir” grant managed by Agence Nationale de la Recherche (Labex CEBA), focussed on the Paracou experimental forest site in French Guiana, which is managed by CIRAD (Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement).

The project as a whole has a range of different objectives linked to many aspects of forest mapping, and Carbomap was involved in the generation of the canopy height model using a very high density point cloud.

 

Canopy Height Model from Paracou Experimental Station. The transect at the bottom shows a cross-section of tree heights above the ground.

Data for the canopy height model aspect of the project was collected by mounting the YellowScan® system on a manned helicopter. The helicopter then replicated the flight parameters of a typical UAV drone, and provided proof of concept for this approach.The UAV approach is more adapted to this type of work, in comparison to the current industry standard which uses full size airplanes for Airborne LiDAR surveys, for a number of reasons. Firstly the flight altitude of a UAV is significantly lower than that of a normal surveying aircraft, which helps to overcome problems of cloud and atmospheric interference in rainforest. UAV’s also fly at much lower speeds than normal aircraft, meaning that a much higher point density can be achieved.   The result is a highly cost-effective system that is especially appropriate for developing countries where airborne LiDAR is expensive to deploy.

To generate the canopy height model, Carbomap used their bespoke processing chain to extract the terrain level from the point cloud. The particular challenge of this project was the high density of the forest itself, which limited the ease of identifying the ground. To do this Carbomap developed an algorithm that is capable of retrieving the few points which correspond to the ground, to generate a bare earth digital terrain model (DTM). Once this was extracted the canopy height model was determined from the height of the trees above the ground.

The next stages in Carbomap’s forest mapping workflow are the extraction of other forest metrics from the data. Examples of this are the amount of aboveground biomass or Carbon stored within the forest area, and if multiple datasets over time are available, then the change in forest cover, from which changes in forest carbon, can also be measured.

This international collaboration, between the Edinburgh-based Carbomap and the French organisations L’Avion Jaune S.A.R.L and IRD, demonstrates the international appeal for the further development of such forest mapping approaches.

Professor Iain Woodhouse, CEO of Carbomap said, “The exciting prospect here is that it demonstrated how a UAV LiDAR can map rainforests in 3D on the landscape scale. The UAV LiDAR approach offers a low cost alternative to sending people into the field to make measurements, yet it provides much higher detail than can be achieved with satellites”.

About Carbomap Ltd

Carbomap is an environmental survey company which spun out of the University of Edinburgh in 2013. The company takes forward over four years of world-class research within the University in the development of a Multispectral Canopy LiDAR, a revolutionary, patent-pending laser scanning instrument designed to fill a gap in airborne forest survey requirements. Carbomap has a world beating team. The scientific founders have international reputations in remote sensing methodologies, satellite radar mapping, forest structure mapping, carbon sequestration and airborne survey. http://www.carbomap.com

About Carbomap’s technology

Carbomap is pioneering a state-of-the-art approach to measuring and mapping the world’s forest carbon called Multi Spectral Canopy LiDAR, which is optimised to measure forest properties by combining the proven strengths of hyper spectral sensing with the 3D structural information from LiDAR. Carbomap can provide forest managers, carbon traders and certifying authorities with independently verified, forest map products to support their strategic decision making. Carbon investors always need to carry out due diligence and ensure quality control to minimise the investment risk. Carbomap provides cost-effective and accurate forest information to support effective decision making.

Carbomap’s approach, which uses four wavelengths, offers significant advantages over existing commercially available single wavelength LiDAR systems. In addition to generating 3D maps as standard, Carbomap’s proprietary system utilises four specific colour bands (rather than one) that are uniquely tuned to measure the health and function of trees, thus providing information from throughout the forest, including the under-canopy vegetation, which is important for the management of fire and invasive species such as rhododendron.

“This kind of information will provide improved capacity to conduct forest inventory and to comply with the increasingly demanding policy directives intended to promote sustainable forestry, increase carbon stocks and conserve biodiversity,” said Prof. Woodhouse. “Our technology provides a cost reduction of at least 50% over traditional ground survey and also provides a level of forest information that cannot be achieved with other airborne scanning systems.”

Standard single-wavelength LiDAR systems use one colour and typically record multiple echoes: one for the top of the tree, the other for the ground surface. This is mostly used for typical surveying activities, such as making OS-type maps, or for engineering, construction and infrastructure planning.

About L’Avion Jaune S.A.R.L

Founded 2005 by three associates, L’Avion Jaune S.A.R.L started as a development and service company based on UAV technology. Reality and opportunities made it evolve to a full aerial imagery service company using manned planes and helicopters as well as UAVs. Since the beginning, its commitment to fulfills high resolution and high quality radiometric requirements has fueled its research and development department.

About L’Avion Jaune’s technology

L’Avion Jaune has created YellowScan®, an all-in-one ultra-light laser scanner intended for UAVs and other ultra-light aircrafts. With less than 2 kg, YellowScan® incorporates a laser scanner head, an inertial measurement unit and a high-grade GPS. YellowScan® has low power consumption (20 Watt) and extremely compact dimensions (20 x 15 x 15 cm). YellowScan® is the world’s lightest standalone surveying solution for drones and other ultralight aircrafts.

YellowScan® is suited for very high resolution surveys. It can operates up to 150 m above ground level with a resolution of 10 cm. Typical scan angle measurement is ±50°.

The system provides up to 3 echoes per shot, allowing to get topographic information under vegetation cover.

About l’Institut de Recherche pour le Développement

The IRD is a French research organisation, original and unique on the European development research scene. Emphasizing interdisciplinarity, the IRD has focused its research for over 65 years on the relationship between man and its environment, in Africa, Mediterranean, Latin America, Asia and the French tropical overseas territories. Its research, training and innovation activities are intended to contribute to the social, economic and cultural development of southern countries.

About the CEBA

The Center for the study of Biodiversity in Amazonia (CEBA) is a network of 11 internationally -recognized French research laboratories involved in biodiversity research in Amazonia in different aspects: biodiscovery, ecology, genetics, modelling, biodiversity & public health, social sciences, etc.

The teams of the CEBA, based in French Guiana, mainland France and the French Antilles, bring together a staff of around 150 people in total (researchers, engineers, PhD students, etc.). The CEBA fosters cutting-edge research on biodiversity in French Guiana and enables the partner teams to lead joint projects thanks to long-term funding.

The CEBA was labelled « Laboratoire d’Excellence » in 2011 in the framework of the calls of proposals launched by the French National Research Agency (ANR) in the Investissements d’Avenir programme. It will conduct its activities from 2011 until 2019.

Contact information

Prof Iain Woodhouse, Carbomap Ltd., info@carbomap.com, +44 7887 551724

Dr. Tristan Allouis, L’Avion Jaune S.A.R.L., yellowscan@lavionjaune.fr

More information

Carbomap Ltd. : http://www.carbomap.com/

l’Avion Jaune S.A.R.L : http://yellowscan.lavionjaune.com/

IRD : http://en.ird.fr/

CEBA : http://www.labex-ceba.fr/en

CIRAD : http://www.cirad.fr/en

The full transect with Google Earth imagery in the background.

With the ground elevation normalised to a flat surface, this image just shows one slice of the canopy structure. Individual tree crowns are visible, and emergent trees can be clearly seen on the right hand side.

Value of world’s forest carbon underestimated by more than 20%

Carbomap’s analysis of Costa Rican forest demonstrates a possible $800 billion shortfall and need for better carbon accounting

Carbomap today announced that it has completed a three-dimensional carbon map of a forested region in Costa Rica. The map reveals that the actual carbon content is 22% higher than published values using traditional satellite methods of measuring forest carbon.

Estimated using approved methodologies by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the global forest carbon stocks are understood to contain 638 billion tonnes of carbon, which may be valued at more than $3.8 trillion (using an average price of $6 per tonne of carbon).

Underpinning any carbon credit trading is the need for accurate carbon stock calculations. Carbon stock calculations and their ongoing verification can therefore represent significant costs within any carbon trading transaction, and accuracy is important.

The data collected by Carbomap shows that the value of protecting global forest carbon could be being significantly underestimated, potentially by as much as $800 billion.

In collaboration with the Global Conservation Standard, Carbomap used data collected by NASA’s experimental LVIS airborne laser scanning system to better estimate the above-ground carbon stocks in a project area. This is the first time that fully volumetric LiDAR data of this kind has been used as a tool for valuing forest carbon.

Using satellite-collected data from existing scientific studies, the forested area in Costa Rica was estimated to contain between 14.4 and 16.3 million tonnes of carbon. However, using the more detailed information available from the airborne LVIS system, Carbomap estimates the same area to contain at least 19.8 million tonnes of carbon.

“We have developed a unique processing tool that allows us to extract very detailed information about the forest and we have found that the total above-ground carbon content was 22% higher than the average of the satellite estimates,” said Prof. Iain Woodhouse, Founder and CEO, Carbomap. “Satellite data cannot provide information on the vertical dimension of the forest, such as canopy height and layering, which are crucial to accurate measurement of the carbon, the biodiversity and the underlying ground surface.”

In addition to the clear economic benefits from sustainable timber, countries around the world are increasingly looking to protect their forest assets and reduce deforestation through UNFCC initiatives such as the REDD-plus framework. To date, $14.5 billion has already been pledged to support initiatives under the programme.

Multiscale mapping of forests (not to scale)

In order to quantify the financial value of the carbon stored in the forests, for the benefit of forest carbon investors, and certification schemes, more than $2.7bn is already spent annually on forest monitoring. Currently, the most common methods of measuring forests are ground-based measurement, analysis of satellite data or single-colour airborne laser scanning.

“It’s very important to forest asset owners that they are able to accurately value the carbon content of their forests and we have shown with this exercise that estimates based on satellite data are well below the actual carbon value of forests,” said Prof. Woodhouse.

Four stages – collecting data

“Our technology could be considered like an MRI scanner for forests, and provides even better carbon measurement capabilities than NASA’s LVIS system”.

 

Factsheet 3: Who buys forest data?

We have just produced some factsheets about Carbomap:  what we do, why and the market opportunity.   Feel free to download and share.

Factsheet #1: How do you measure a forests?

Factsheet #2: How do trees make money?

Factsheet #3: Why buys forest data?

Factsheet 2: How do trees make money?

We have just produced some factsheets about Carbomap:  what we do, why and the market opportunity.   Feel free to download and share.

Factsheet #1: How do you measure a forests?

Factsheet #2: How do trees make money?

Factsheet #3: Why buys forest data?

Factsheet 1: How do you measure a forest?

We have just produced some factsheets about Carbomap:  what we do, why and the market opportunity.   Feel free to download and share.

Factsheet #1: How do you measure a forests?

Factsheet #2: How do trees make money?

Factsheet #3: Why buys forest data?

So, what about deforestation?

A world without trees. Imagine it. Or even better, Carbomap CEO has imagined here. It is important that we share our knowledge of the natural environment, and the ecosystem services provided (more on this here and here), because of the threat that human societies can at times pose.

According to the FAO the rate of global deforestation is approximately 13 million hectares per year, which is an area of forest roughly the size of Greece or Bangladesh (or even 6 times the ‘Size of Wales’…). Every single year. This works out at approximately one football pitch of forest cut down every 2 seconds.

Deforestation is defined as a permanent reduction of tree canopy cover to below 10-30% of the original cover, and forest degradation defined as canopy reduction above this threshold. The resultant carbon emissions from deforestation account for up to 16% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, however this value is highly uncertain. In tropical regions there are many causes for deforestation, but the primary cause is land-use change. The specifics of these changes are highly dependent upon which part of the world you’re talking about, but common  causes are; subsistence farming, cattle ranching, soya cultivation, palm oil plantations, and logging for timber or charcoal production.

Brazilian Amazon, July 30th 2000 (NASA)

Brazilian Amazon, August 2nd 2010 (NASA)

Although it appears that money can be made from exploiting forest resources, it is difficult to determine the full cost of removing these vital ecosystems. However the economic value of this loss in forest ecosystem services is estimated to be between $2 and $4.5 Trillion per year [also see linked 1 to 4 below]. A complicating factor in this problem is that there is a disproportionate impact upon the countries least capable to deal with it. Despite the demands of developed countries being the major driver behind tropical deforestation, it is the developing countries that will feel the impacts most as it is their forests which are being lost.

The links between economics, deforestation, and poverty are highly complex; up to 1.3 billion of the poorest people on the planet depend on forests for their income. The loss of forest ecosystems could put schemes aimed at alleviating poverty in developing countries into jeopardy.

The draw of the short-term economic benefits to clearing forest areas is one which many countries in the world have succumbed to throughout history. Indeed, three quarters of the UK was covered in forest 6,000 years ago; compare that to the 12% forest cover we have now. History has taught us that deforestation and economic development have gone hand-in-hand, the graph below demonstrates this common path to development.

Angelsen, A. (2007) “Forest Cover Change in Space and Time: Combining the Von Thunen and Forest Transition Theories” World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 4117
Ryan, C. M. (2009) “Deforestation. POSTnote” London, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology

As populations increase, the demand for agricultural land increases, which tends to result in large-scale clearances of forests. However, there also comes a point at which forest cover stabilises and may even recover! This occurs at approximately the point where GDP exceeds $5,000/capita. Therefore one of the biggest goals for forest conservation is to provide a new ‘route to development’ which by-passes the seemingly inherent deforestation stages. In the discussions of climate change mitigation this is becoming increasingly important because of forests carbon absorbing properties, and our continuing reliance on carbon intensive fossil fuels.

The COP19 in Warsaw, saw major steps forward in forest conservation, with an agreement to define the drivers of deforestation, for the establishment of national forest monitoring; known as MRV (monitoring, reporting, and verification). Countries are collectively encouraged to slow, halt and reverse the loss in forest cover and carbon loss. There is an allowance for national circumstances, and protections in place for safeguarding the environment and human rights of indigenous people, who will be key for the success of these projects. And with over US$280 million pledged, by the United Kingdom, Norway, and the US, for financing the Warsaw Framework for REDD+, global momentum is growing for enabling the protection of our important forest ecosystems.

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[1] http://www.thesolutionsjournal.com/node/823

[2] http://www.unep.org/pdf/TEEB_D1_Summary.pdf

[3] http://www.teebweb.org/

[4] http://www.globio.info/downloads/85/Report%20-%20Braat%20&%20ten%20Brink%20eds%20(2008)%20The%20Cost%20of%20Policy%20Ina.pdf

Why airborne laser scanning is the way forward

We recently discussed, in this post, just why forests are important to us, and the role they have to play in combating climate change. But what is the best way to measure forests? Every policy mechanism (and economic incentive) currently being proposed to combat deforestation is “performance-based”, meaning that robust mapping of forest properties is a fundamental component of the solution.

The inaugural Natural Capital Forum, held in Edinburgh before Christmas, supported an agreement that identified economic value of natural capital as the best vehicle for enabling the protection of key natural environments. This recognition of our reliance upon natural capital, and the need to protect them is also reflected by policy makers. At the COP19 in Warsaw there were significant advances in implementing financial mechanisms for protecting forests, known as REDD+. One of the most promising things to come out of the conference was the agreement to define a system for the monitoring, reporting, and verification of REDD+ projects. However, this is a complex problem which depends on a range of circumstances and requirements, but the need for robust monitoring systems which can feed into results based financing is clear.   Remote sensing technologies have long been recognised as a primary vehicle for providing objective, practical, and cost-effective solutions for REDD+ monitoring. Indeed recent work by the University of Maryland, in partnership with Google and the US government, recently published the first freely-available, high-resolution global map of forest extent, loss and gain. Through the use of the Landsat satellite image series, they were able to produce a time series analysis of how forest cover has changed between 2000 and 2012, to a 30m spatial resolution.

University of Maryland (2013) http://earthenginepartners.appspot.com/science-2013-global-forest

So if we’re doing such a good job with satellite mapping of forests, why would you use laser scanning?

In short, satellites do a great job of some things, but airborne laser scanning is the most reliable way of properly mapping the forest.

In a recent study by De Sy et a, 2012, only airborne laser scanning was deemed “very suitable” for  mapping forest biomass at a level required for REDD+.

A key area for the financing of REDD+ is the verifiable quantification of biomass. Traditionally this has been carried out through the use of field-based inventories; however these can be both expensive financially and in terms of time. The use of satellite data for this purpose has been used for a number of years; however there are limitations. The use of passive optical remote sensing satellites has primarily utilised coarse resolution mapping of 500m to 1km, which does not meet the accuracy required for REDD+ monitoring. And while very fine resolution optical remote sensing, such as Landsat or other commercial satellites, provides a measure of forest carbon stocks with a higher certainty, these systems all rely on indirect measurements of forest structure and various assumptions to estimate biomass.

Airborne laser scanning on the other hand provides direct measurements of the forest structure, giving actual measurements of tree height, and forest density, from which biomass can be determined. As they are active remote sensing systems, there is no reliance on solar illumination, which can be a significant limitation for passive optical remote sensing; where weather and time of day can have an impact on the measurements recorded.

The high spatial resolution provided by LiDAR also gives it a significant advantage over Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) providing much greater detail and thus more accurate results. In addition to this the use of full-waveform LiDAR means that the 3D structure of a forest can be mapped, providing detailed knowledge of the under-canopy which cannot be extracted by any other method. The greater knowledge of the vertical structure of the forest, as well as the horizontal structure, enables more accurate biomass estimates to be calculated. These characteristics are also highly beneficial for monitoring forest degradation; in particular the full-waveform overcomes the problem of canopy gaps closing which typically occurs 1 to 2 years after forest degradation has occurred. This problem currently limits the use of passive remote sensing which is only able to detect the top layer of the forest.

The forest inventory and monitoring research group (SkogRover) at the Department of Ecology and Natural resource management (INA) at Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB): http://www.forestinventory.no/?page_id=302

At Carbomap, we have also recognised the potential for multispectral LiDAR, which would negate the need for using a synergy of standard LiDAR and passive optical remote sensing; whereby the 3D structure of the forest is combined by the spectral signature, or “colour”. Specifically for REDD+ monitoring, it enables the use of LiDAR for increasing the wealth of information on many aspects of the MRV requirements. Such as forest degradation, and the extent to which forest fire risk and burnt area mapping can be achieved, aiding in the prevention and mitigation of fires which are detrimental to the success of REDD+ projects.

The nature of Airborne laser scanning means that some of the requirements of REDD+ monitoring cannot yet be met, such as near-real time monitoring of forest area change, deforestation, and land-use change. However the implementation of a spaceborne LiDAR system would overcome these challenges, extending the capabilities and applications of LiDAR for REDD+ monitoring. Unfortunately, there are currently no such systems operating, although the Carbomap team have developed a mission concept for a satellite laser scanner.

There has been an increasing acceptance from investors and government agencies that airborne LiDAR is the best solution for biomass mapping. The use of laser scanning for forest mapping and REDD+ monitoring, verification and reporting is growing as recognition of the benefits over other approaches is realised.

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De Sy, V. Herold, M. Achard, F. Asner, G. Held, A. Kellndorfer, J. and Verbesselt, J. (2012) “Synergies of multiple remote sensing data sources for REDD+ monitoring”, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Vol. 4, 1-11, pp. 696-706

Origami Carbon Cycle Infographic

Here is a cool infographic on the Carbon Cycle by Carbomap CEO Iain Woodhouse:  Origami Carbon Cycle Infographic.

via Origami Carbon Cycle Infographic.