Rapid MODIS-based detection of tree cover loss

Change Detection Based on Fractional Tree Cover Derived from Modis Data

Knowledge about the land cover of large areas is important for monitoring and modeling of ecological and environmental processes and for land cover change detection. Considerable efforts have recently resulted in the development of global continuous fields for different land cover types at large spatial scales based on NOAA-AVHRR, SPOT-VEGETATION, and TERRA-MODIS data. Researchers have applied ...

Annual Detection of Forest Cover Loss Using Time Series Satellite Measurements of Percent Tree Cover

We introduce and test a new method to detect annual forest cover loss from time series estimates of percent tree cover. Our approach is founded on two realistic assumptions: (1) land cover disturbances are rare events over large geographic areas that occur within a short time frame; and (2) spatially discrete land cover disturbances are continuous processes over time. Applying statistically rig...

China's fight to halt tree cover loss

China is investing immense resources for planting trees, totalling more than US$ 100 billion in the past decade alone. Every year, China reports more afforestation than the rest of the world combined. Here, we show that China's forest cover gains are highly definition-dependent. If the definition of 'forest' follows FAO criteria (including immature and temporarily unstocked areas), China has ga...

Object-based mapping of the circumpolar taiga–tundra ecotone with MODIS tree cover

Object - based mapping of the circumpolar taiga - tundra ecotone 1 with MODIS tree cover