Landsat’s Role in Managing Forests
People and economies around the world rely on forests for timber, carbon storage, flood control, biological diversity, recreation, and more. Forest managers face many challenges. In the last few years, forest fires have become more intense and more frequent; North American forests have experienced widespread infestations by pests such as the pine bark beetle; and tropical deforestation continues. Our changing climate adds complexity to government and commercial decisions about how to manage, protect, and sustain our forest resources. Landsat satellites provide key data for forest monitoring and management across the globe. Landsat gives us consistent views of the health, composition, and extent of forest ecosystems as they change over time. Curtis Woodcock, Professor, Boston University and specialist in remote sensing, has said, “I would argue that the Landsat data archive may be the most valuable environmental data record we have.” Designed, built, and launched by NASA, Landsat satellites have recorded global forest conditions every year since the 1970’s, and they have observed all U.S. forests once a season throughout those years. The U.S. Geological Survey provides this valuable data to the public at no cost. Landsat observations will continue into the future with Landsat 8.
Tracking Forest Change in Canada
Researchers used a time series of data from Landsat satellites to quantify areas burned or harvested across Canada.
GEO Announces Major Milestone Reached in Forest Monitoring from Space
Thanks to a major effort to ensure full satellite coverage of the world’s forests, all countries now have the necessary data for annual forest monitoring for the first time ever.
Myanmar’s Extensive Forests Are Declining Rapidly
The loss of intact forest cover in Myanmar has accelerated in the past decade, according to a study by Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientists and partners.
"Listening to Landscapes" Wins Science's People Choice Award for 2017 Data Stories Contest
The data animation based on LandTrendr-derived land cover change illustrates the effects of political boundaries on forest cover as well as the relationship between insect infestations and forest fire behavior.
Revolutionizing Land Cover and Land Change Research
A new initiative called Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection provides definitive, timely information on how, why, and where the planet is changing.
Canada’s Forests Return Following Disturbance
Tens-of-thousands of Landsat images representing billions of pixels, were used by White and co-authors to map forest wildfire and harvesting on an annual basis and to then characterize the return of forest vegetation following the disturbance.