From satellites to drones: the effect of scale on forest carbon mapping

• Grant number: 25/14662-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Pedro Henrique Santin Brancalion
• Grantee: Franciel Eduardo Rex
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/09862-7 - RedeFloresta: Geospatial decision support platform for the restoration of landscapes and ecosystems in the state of São Paulo, AP.PP

Abstract

Forests play a crucial role in carbon sequestration, making carbon monitoring a critical task for assessing the success of forest restoration projects. Aboveground biomass constitutes the main portion of the carbon stock in tropical forests. Traditionally, biomass mapping relies on field inventories, which are time-consuming and expensive. However, recent advances in remote sensing technologies have opened up new possibilities for monitoring biomass using multiple sensors, such as RGB, multispectral, and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), and at multiple scales, from centimeters with drones to hundreds of meters with satellites. This project aims to develop an approach that combines multiple sensors and remote sensing scales to improve the accuracy and efficiency of aboveground biomass monitoring in restoration projects. To this end, we will investigate the effect of scale on forest carbon mapping, using upscaling and downscaling methods. Biomass maps generated by satellite imagery and data collected by drones will be compared at different spatial resolutions with field measurements to assess the accuracy of carbon estimates and the feasibility of scaling. (AU)