GEO ADC meeting,Sep 22-23, 2008

Slide # 1

AG-06-04AG-06-04

Forest Mapping and Change Monitoring

LoycheWilkie,Mette (FAO) Adam Gerrand (FAO) Ivan Petiteville, CEOS

GEO ADC meeting,Sep 22-23, 2008

Slide # 2

Task Description

• Integrate international efforts on assessment and monitoring of forests and forest changes using a combination of ground and satellite information and internationally agreed standards.

• POC: FAO• Lead: GTOS, USA

GEO ADC meeting,Sep 22-23, 2008

Slide # 3

Key activities1. Decide on objectives, approaches and required funding

(Washington, October 2006 and Rome March 2008).

2. Build consensus on standards in land characterization, interpretation methods and validation (2006-2008).

3. Establish framework for linking in situ forest observations and satellite observations (Ongoing).

4. Participate & assist related land cover mapping projects (e.g. GLOBCOVER). (Ongoing)

5. Develop protocol for selected disturbances and disturbance history (Not started in earnest. Premiminary work on fragmentation).

6. Support capacity building on assessing forest area and forest area change (Ongoing. A global Forest Monitoring Symposium planned for end 2008 and a series of regional and subregional workshops in 2008 and 2009).

GEO ADC meeting,Sep 22-23, 2008

Slide # 4

Outputs and deliverables• Identification of key actors and agreement on objectives

& approaches for a global remote sensing survey of forests (as part of FRA 2010).

• An agreed methodology for the FRA 2010 Remote Sensing Survey (RSS).

• A framework for linking statistical forest data, in situ forest observations, and satellite observations as part of an international forest and forest change assessment.

• An augmented global sampling frame that is capable of identifying emerging regional issues such as fragmentation and deforestation.

• Capacity building workshops.

GEO ADC meeting,Sep 22-23, 2008

Slide # 5

Progress to date

1. Good progress on FRA RSS design with wide consultations on sampling framework. Consultant Ralph Ridder’s report online www.fao.org/fra

2. - Kotka meeting FRA National reps - June 2006- First meeting Washington Oct 2006 – agreed that FRA 2010 RSS forms the overall framework for GEO task, FAO will lead with wide range of partners - Several meetings with key implementing partners

3. FRA 2010 launched Rome 4-6 March 20084. FRA 2010 Remote Sensing Survey Task Force of

22 key countries (80% worlds forest) set up with partners at first meeting March ‘08

GEO ADC meeting,Sep 22-23, 2008

Slide # 6

Progress to date

5. GEO meeting Japan 14-16 April incl. forest monitoring (

http://www.earthobservations.org/meetings/20080414_16_geoss_asia_pasific_summary_report.pdf) 6. GEO meeting in Geneva 16 June on proposed new Forest

Monitoring Task 7. FRA2010 RSS funding from EU in Aug 2008 (E3.6m)8. Remote Sensing Scientist position was advertised Sept 08 9. Release of Landsat global datasets (by Nov?) will allow pilot

testing of analysis of change detection in 22 Task force countries10. GOFC-GOLD Forest Monitoring workshop Germany 13-17 Oct11. GEO forest monitoring meeting, Brazil from 4 to 7 Nov 12. Feb 2009 FAO meeting on forest degradation FRA special study13. 2009: Capacity building workshops and survey implementation. 14. 2010: Data analysis 15. Final report expected in 2011 – for Year of the Forests

Data preparation by SDSU University

Matt Hansen and team at South Dakota University (FRA2010 RSS partners) to collect and analyse MODIS and Landsat data

Draft data viewer and download system developed

http://globalmonitoring.sdstate.edu/projects/fao/index.html

Data preparation by SDSU University

Users can view and easily download MODIS tree cover imagery and Landsat data for all the FRA RSS sample tiles

Radar work by Jena UniversityJena University partners in FRA RSS to collect and analyse

radar data for sites with cloud or other data gaps

http://www.frasar2010.uni-jena.de/index.html

GEO ADC meeting,Sep 22-23, 2008

Slide # 10

Concerns/issues

• Concerns/issues which will determine our ability to deliver the end product on time: – A large number of the existing Landsat Geocover images

(~1975, 1990 and 2000 datasets) need to be re-rectified. As these images are from all regions, we cannot start the implementation until this re-rectification procedure has been completed (if we do, we would have to re-do much of the work later). NASA/USGS has indicated that this work will be completed by Oct/Nov 2008.

– We need a reconfirmation that this timeline is still valid. – We are also intending to use the mid-decadal data set, but face

a time constraint if this is not ready until end of 2008 (current schedule) or later.

– Strong support from countries and goodwill from partners but now waiting for re-rectified LANDSAT from USGS (delays? maybe Dec 08?!)