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New Map Shows Decreasing Forest Heights in Europe in Past Two Decades

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  • New Map Shows Decreasing Forest Heights In Europe In Past Two Decades
Europe tree cover
A new study led by the Global Land Analysis and Discovery team's Assistant Research Scientist Svetlana Turubanova was just published in Remote Sensing of Environment.
 
The study provides a comprehensive dataset characterizing annual changes in tree canopy cover across the Europe from 2001 to 2021. The changes in tree canopy cover are modeled using the multidecadal spectral data from the Landsat archive and calibration data from Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) and spaceborne Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) lidars.
 
An interactive web app allows to view and download the map.
 
Analysis of the resulting map revealed that the European tree canopy extent area increased by nearly 1% overall during the past two decades, with the largest increase observed in Eastern Europe, Southern Europe and the British Isles. However, after 2016, the tree canopy extent in Europe declined. Some regions reduced their tree canopy extent between 2001 and 2021, with the highest reduction observed in Fennoscandia (3.5% net decrease). The continental extent of tall tree canopy forests (≥ 15 m height) decreased by 3% from 2001 to 2021.
 
The recent decline in tree canopy extent agrees with the FAO statistics on timber harvesting intensification and with the increasing extent and severity of natural disturbances. The observed decreasing tree canopy height indicates a reduction in forest carbon storage capacity in Europe.
 
Image:The year 2021 tree canopy height (~30 meters per pixel spatial resolution data). Available here.
 

Published on Mon, 09/11/2023 - 11:16

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