Advances in remote sensing technology and implications for measuring and monitoring forest carbon stocks 
and change

Background

Using satelite images to monitor forest cover has advanced significantly in the past few decades but it still requires time to move into operation readiness. This article contributes to this progress through discussing how new technologies (i.e. improved satelite images and Lidar) can be used to improve monitoring of above ground carbon estimates. It specifically focusses on using Lidar technology and how moving Lidar devices from moving planes to satelite equipment could improve Carbon stock estimates.

Conclusions & Takeaways

The article describes these technological advances from the context of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and how international regulation on reporting Carbon emmissions will change in the coming years. In short, the scope of what can be measured and the efficiency (i.e. cost) of Carbon estimtes can be significantly reduced if Lidar is attached to satelites.