Satellite Images Map Deforestation
- Caitlin Bird
- Nov 25, 2016
- 1 min read
October in Boston means kicking up yellow leaves on the sidewalk, crunching through the fallen evidence of New England’s autumn glory. The splash of color on the trees marks the last gasp of warmth before winter sets in. But it isn’t only leaf-peepers who are gazing at the trees; scientists are also studying them, on a much grander scale. Satellite images of forests in New England—and across the world—are allowing experts to observe how they are changing over time, and in doing so, to measure deforestation.
“The big issue is tracking deforestation in tropical countries,” says Pontus Olofsson, a College of Arts & Sciences research assistant professor of earth and environment. Tropical rain forests in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia have long been endangered: according to conservation organization Mongabay, the Brazilian Amazon lost over 5,800 km2 of rain forest in 2015. That’s down from over 18,000 km2 in 2000 but still larger than the area of Rhode Island. Olofsson and his colleagues study deforestation via remote sensing—using satellites or other tools to gather information about the Earth by scanning it from afar. Now, advances in remote sensing can help researchers and government officials monitor deforestation almost in real time.
Kate Evans/CIFOR
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