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Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2019

The Forest Observation System, building a global reference dataset for remote sensing of forest biomass

Schepaschenko, Dmitry; Chave, Jerome; Phillips, Oliver L.; Lewis, Simon L.; Davies, Stuart J.; Rejou-Mechain, Maxime; Sist, Plinio; Scipal, Klaus; Perger, Christoph; Herault, Bruno; Labriere, Nicolas; Hofhansl, Florian; Affum-Baffoe, Kofi; Aleinikov, Alexei; Alonso, Alfonso; Amani, Christian; Araujo-Murakami, Alejandro; Armston, John; Arroyo, Luzmila; Ascarrunz, Nataly;
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Abstract

Forest biomass is an essential indicator for monitoring the Earth's ecosystems and climate. It is a critical input to greenhouse gas accounting, estimation of carbon losses and forest degradation, assessment of renewable energy potential, and for developing climate change mitigation policies such as REDD+, among others. Wall-to-wall mapping of aboveground biomass (AGB) is now possible with satellite remote sensing (RS). However, RS methods require extant, up-to-date, reliable, representative and comparable in situ data for calibration and validation. Here, we present the Forest Observation System (FOS) initiative, an international cooperation to establish and maintain a global in situ forest biomass database. AGB and canopy height estimates with their associated uncertainties are derived at a 0.25 ha scale from field measurements made in permanent research plots across the world's forests. All plot estimates are geolocated and have a size that allows for direct comparison with many RS measurements. The FOS offers the potential to improve the accuracy of RS- based biomass products while developing new synergies between the RS and ground-based ecosystem research communities.

Published in

Scientific Data
2019, Volume: 6, article number: 198
Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP