Dr. Lei Ma has been awarded the Dean's Research Initiative project in the Level 1 Seed Project category for proposing "Mapping Tree Regrowth Using High-Resolution Aerial Imagery and Deep Learning." 

This project aims to map individual tree crowns and track their recovery over time in Maryland using very high spatial resolution aerial images and deep learning techniques. The project will be evaluated for its effectiveness, transferability, and limitations to scale up for national and global monitoring of tree regrowth, which has significant implications for managing climate change impacts and identifying environmental justice.

The project holds great potential in supporting the MARYLAND 5 MILLION TREES INITIATIVE, which is an essential component of the state's ambitious climate mitigation goals. The generated maps will be incorporated into a novel forest carbon monitoring and modeling system developed by Dr. Lei Ma, Dr. George Hurtt, and other researchers to track carbon sequestration.