Monitoring Forests in TreeD

This month we introduced TreeD, our tree monitoring module. The latest version includes capabilities to visualize temporal developments. This is especially useful for gradual processes, like forest degradation or reforestation.

At the base of this method is state of the art research (Lang et al.), which we configure in a highly scalable way leveraging the capabilities of the MS Azure cloud. Note, we are not visualizing conventional LiDAR point clouds; we are making use of techniques to visualize point clouds to show gridded imagery carrying a z-value with high performance. Our simple process quickly queries user-defined areas of interests for certain time ranges, and through various averaging techniques and significant processing, we create robust canopy height maps. In fact, canopy heights are just one of multiple variables we derive with this approach, yet possibly the most impressive for visualization purposes.

The particular site visualized here is the Suzano ARR Horizonte Carbon project, located in the Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, within the Cerrado Biome. As part of this revegetation project, which was initiated in 2017, nearly 15,000 hectares of eucalyptus trees were planted on pasture areas of degraded soils, as well as an additional 1,000 hectares of native vegetation.

Our analytical deep-dive underlines the successful planting of Eucalyptus trees, which are growing at a rate of up to 5 meters per annum, which is considered optimal for an ecosystem with the conditions of the Cerrado.

Click here to learn more about the ARR Horizonte Carbon project, or reach out to our team if you are interested in applying this innovative approach to your portfolio of projects!