The Role of Space in Reforestation

Wildfires have been occurring at an alarming rate over the past decade. Just last year (2021), over 50,000 wildfires were reported, with the Dixie Fire of California, which burned down 960,000 acres being the largest among them. In so far as we don’t do anything about climate change and global warming, these fires will only continue to intensify and occur more frequently. Trees are among the things that are heavily affected by fires, which often leads to deforestation, droughts, and unwanted species of plants and animals cropping up. The United States has lost 15% of its tree cover this century. That is why they are dedicated to planting another one billion hectares of trees to reduce the effects of global warming and secure the future of forestry.However, wildfires are not the only reason for deforestation. There is also illegal logging, pests, diseases, etc. To mitigate the devastating effect of these issues, each of them need to be effectively detected, monitored, and acted upon in a timely manner. Luckily, it can be done with the help of modern tech developed for these very purposes. For example, many companies are now using satellite monitoring for remote stands management or special high-tech drones to sprinkle seeds over large hectares of deforested land, creating more forestry jobs. This is a significant effort to reduce global warming and restore lost ecosystems. 

Forest Monitoring Using New Technologies

Over the past few years, remote sensing technologies like LiDAR and drones have spearheaded the monitoring of forests and farmlands. They provide quick, cost-effective, and enough data to help users make informed decisions about their forests or farmland. Also, the constant availability of satellite imagery has created a cost-effective method to assess forests data by enabling forestry players to monitor forest in an app. This method of forest monitoring has been made easy since governments and private businesses are launching more satellites to earth’s orbit and developing data analytics platforms that accurately interpret the images. Nowadays, satellites with the capabilities to monitor vegetation cover are being launched on a monthly basis. Some satellites even have a revisit time of 24 hours, providing up-to-date images frequently. With these capabilities, experts can notice subtle changes to vegetation vigor and make necessary adjustments. 

Benefits of Satellite Forest Monitoring

The role of forests in the climate system is hard to overestimate. That is why their smart management is becoming a necessity. Now, we are going to look at the main ways satellite monitoring helps with that.

Monitoring Illegal Logging

Using satellite images, experts can monitor minute changes in forest cover. This will let them know if any illegal activities are going on in the forests. With this information, they are able to make informed decisions on how to prevent and fight against illegal logging. Data from satellites can be used to make accurate maps which help in sustainable forestry initiatives. It gives information on how our activities in the forests affect the climate and contribute to global warming. With constant monitoring from satellites, experts can quickly notice and assess threats from disasters that may stem from illegal logging. 

Wildfires Monitoring

Wildfires cause lots of damage to ecosystems, environments, properties, and even life. They are becoming frequent by the day due to climate change, and we require a large number of resources and workforce to fight against these fires. However, to be able to detect these fires fast and efficiently fight them, you will need satellite images and remote sensing. 

Reforestation Management

Proper forest management is the key to seeing the effects of your reforestation efforts. That is why you need a good reforestation plan based on your goals. For restoration, different species of plants can be used depending on the end goal. Some plants absorb more carbon from the atmosphere while others are fast growing. Also, the experts need to decide on how to restore the ecosystem of the previous forest. For this, they will need to mimic the type of trees that were present. Note that planting just on species of trees can make them susceptible to diseases. It is easier to perform reforestation management and monitoring with a forest management tool, such as EOS Forest Monitoring. It’s a forest management platform designed by EOS Data Analytics (EOSDA) to help experts manage forests sustainably. Using satellite data, this tool helps logging companies, forestry suppliers, and others monitor the health of their forests remotely. The platform offers a 14-day weather forecast and current and historical weather information to help users plan their forest management activities and make informed decisions. Get satellite images at a regional scale of your AOI to monitor forest changes and plan reforestation activities where necessary.  Using the app, you can view areas of thermal anomalies and even receive notifications about a sharp temperature rise. This information allows users to take fast preventive actions to neutralize the threat or evacuate. Some other parameters that EOS Forest Monitoring provides are water stress levels and temperature. This can show the user which areas are very dry and have a high risk of wildfires. Forests are an important part of the earth’s ecosystem and are home to billions of species. Proper management and reforestation will not only benefit those species that make the forest their home but also the entire planet. This is because trees act as carbon stores and remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere that lead to climate change. With the help of drones and other remote sensing technologies, reforestation and forest management have become efficient and quick.