<p>Total tropical primary forest loss in 2023 totaled 3.7 million hectares, the equivalent of losing almost 10 football (soccer) fields of forest per minute. <a href="https://gfw.global/3TPufvy" rel="noopener" target="_blank">View on the Global Forest Review.</a></p>


2023 Tree Cover Loss Data Analysis

Commodities

Read about the role forests play in the production of commodities around the world.

Commodities | Global Forest Watch Blog

Data and Research

GFW is first and foremost a data-driven platform. Read the latest forest research and analysis.

Data and Research | Global Forest Watch Blog

Brazil

Brazil | Global Forest Watch Blog

Cambodia

Cambodia | Global Forest Watch Blog

Colombia

Colombia | Global Forest Watch Blog

Indonesia

Indonesia | Global Forest Watch Blog

Liberia

Liberia | Global Forest Watch Blog

Malaysia

Malaysia | Global Forest Watch Blog

Peru

Peru | Global Forest Watch Blog

plantations

plantations | Global Forest Watch Blog

Platform

Platform | Global Forest Watch Blog

<p>By <a href="http://www.wri.org/profile/mikaela-weisse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mikaela Weisse</a>  The difference between <strong><em>forest</em></strong> and <strong><em>“tree cover”</em></strong> may be subtle, but it is important. Tree cover describes all trees and vegetation taller than 5m (the height at which they can be reliably detected by satellites) regardless of whether they’re part of a natural forest or have been planted by humans for agricultural production. Accordingly, data like the <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/3/15.00/27.00/ALL/grayscale/loss,forestgain?tab=countries-tab&begin=2001-01-01&end=2015-01-01&threshold=30" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GLAD tree cover loss and gain</a> on Global Forest Watch has been <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262767542_Comment_on_High-resolution_global_maps_of_21st-century_forest_cover_change" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">criticized</a> for being unable to distinguish between types of loss like the permanent conversion of natural forests—what most of our users care about—and the harvesting of managed plantations.  In response, Global Forest Watch teamed up with <a href="http://www.transparentworld.ru/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Transparent World</a> to map the extent and location of plantations in seven key tropical countries: <a href="http://bit.ly/1ZnP1MG" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brazil</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/1Q9ho0F" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cambodia</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/1Q9hqWn" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Colombia</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/1Q9htRP" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Indonesia</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/1ZnP6Qz" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Liberia</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/1Q9hsxp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Malaysia</a> and <a href="http://bit.ly/1ZnQeUl" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Peru</a>. The new maps, combined with forest change data on Global Forest Watch, now lets users see not just tree cover loss, but forest loss. <a href="http://content.globalforestwatch.org/2016/01/forest-loss-pushes-far-beyond-plantation-boundaries-in-south-america-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read our launch blog</a>. </p>
<h3>Recalibrating Global Trends</h3>
<p> Separating forest loss from loss inside plantations can have a major impact on our understanding of global forest change trends. For example, in 2014 Malaysia had the fourth highest tree cover loss in the tropics as a percentage of its total forested area. However, if you only look at loss outside of plantation areas in Malaysia (i.e. loss in natural forest) it would move down to #21. Comparisons were made using loss as a proportion of total forested area to correct for the fact that bigger countries and countries with more forests tend to have greater loss. This is in part because plantations cover almost a third (30.2 percent) of Malaysia’s land area—the country converted much of their remaining natural forests for oil palm and other crops decades ago. Making the distinction helps us understand these complex landscape dynamics and can have a big impact on which areas we <a href="http://content.globalforestwatch.org/2016/01/forests-are-in-the-paris-agreement-now-what/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">prioritize for conservation</a> around the world. </p>
<h3>Translating Alerts</h3>
<p> Plantation maps can also be a game changer for those who closely monitor new forest changes using the Global Forest Watch near real-time alerts. Tree cover loss alerts within existing plantations are more likely to reflect routine harvesting. Even when the loss is unplanned, it will likely have lesser impact on ecosystem services than loss in natural forests as plantations often store <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1354-1013.2002.00486.x/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">less carbon</a> and harbor <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alexandra_Morel/publication/23241563_How_will_oil_palm_expansion_affect_biodiversity/links/02bfe5114f1a0c7175000000.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">less biodiversity</a>. Therefore, forest managers can use GFW alerts and plantations maps together to better focus limited resources toward higher-conservation value forest areas. </p>
<div class="center"><iframe loading="lazy" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/embed/map/10/2.62/102.51/ALL/grayscale/forma/670?tab=analysis-tab&begin=2015-01-01&end=2015-08-01" height="600" width="100%" frameborder="0"></iframe>Forest managers can now identify that these tree cover loss alerts occur within existing plantations, and thus are less important for their work.</div>
<h3>Snapshots Are Just the First Step</h3>
<p> Though a powerful addition to the suite of forest change data available on Global Forest Watch, the plantation maps <b>only provide a snapshot of 2013 and 2014</b> and don’t tell us anything about the land use prior to 2013. For example, tree cover loss in 2012 and earlier seen within mapped plantations could be previous harvest cycles, or it could be clearing of natural forests to establish the plantation (i.e. deforestation). Mapping plantations from 2000 (the farthest back our tree cover change data go) to 2012 would give us a better sense of when plantations were established and therefore where deforestation occurred during that time period. Similarly, we would need regularly updated plantation maps to detect forest loss in the future.  But that’s easier said than done. The 2013 and 2014 maps were created through a <a href="http://www.wri.org/publication/mapping-tree-plantations?utm_campaign=plantations&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=learnmore&utm_term=technicalnote_plantations&utm_content=hyperlink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">labor-intensive process</a> (i.e. by hand!) because remote-sensing technologies cannot yet accurately distinguish plantations from natural forests. Still, while we wait for technology to fill the gap, these maps highlight the importance of securing efforts to build upon this work to continue improving forest monitoring systems. </p>
<div class="center"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter  wp-image-3911" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" alt="ENG_malaysia_plantations" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ENG_malaysia_plantations.gif" width="100%" />View this area on the <a href="http://bit.ly/1VkLPQI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">interactive map</a>.</div>
<h3>See For Yourself! 5 Ways to Use the New Plantations Data</h3>
<p> You can find the plantations data under the “Land Cover” tab on the interactive GFW map, or under the country data for each of the seven countries. Clicking on each individual plantation boundary gives more information on the plantation type (i.e. industrial, small-scale, etc.), area, and the probable species (i.e. oil palm, rubber, fruit, etc.).  Here are five ways users can interact with the new plantations data to find the information they care about most: </p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Analyze Loss Inside Plantations:</strong> <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/12/2.72/102.61/ALL/grayscale/loss/670?tab=analysis-tab&begin=2001-01-01&end=2015-01-01&threshold=30" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Calculate</a> how many hectares of tree cover loss occurred in any plantation by selecting a plantation shape and then clicking the “Analyze” button</li>
<li><strong>Find Areas of Interest:</strong> See where plantations overlap with <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/13/-2.88/-40.43/ALL/grayscale/none/670,612?tab=analysis-tab" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">protected areas</a>, biodiversity hotspots, Intact Forest Landscapes, and other important areas for conservation</li>
<li><strong>Calculate Carbon Emissions:</strong> Find out how much tree cover loss and emissions come from plantations in each of the seven countries on their <a href="http://climate.globalforestwatch.org/countries">GFW Climate country profile page</a></li>
<li><strong>Download the Data:</strong> Get the data from the <a href="http://data.globalforestwatch.org/datasets/baae47df61ed4a73a6f54f00cb4207e0_5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Open Data Portal</a> and to use in your own analysis</li>
<li><strong>See Loss Outside Plantations:</strong> Learn the area and percent of tree cover loss outside of plantations for the seven countries on their <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/countries">country profiles pages</a></li>
</ol>
<p> We hope the new plantation maps are a major step forward in forest monitoring. The data allows us to look past the trees to truly see the forest.  </p>
<hr />
<div class="attribute">Oil palm nursery near Bengkulu, Sumatra. Photo by James Anderson for WRI (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldresourcesinstitute/14244774048/in/album-72157645236707433/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Flickr</a>).</div>
<hr />
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When Tree Cover Loss is Really Forest Loss: New Plantation Maps Improve Forest Monitoring

By <a href="http://www.wri.org/profile/mikaela-weisse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mikaela Weisse</a>  The difference between <strong><em>forest</em></strong> and <strong><em>“tree cover”</em></strong> may be subtle, but it is important. Tree cover describes all trees and vegetation taller than 5m (the height at which they can be reliably detected by satellites) regardless of whether they’re part of a natural forest or have been planted by humans for agricultural production. Accordingly, data like the <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/3/15.00/27.00/ALL/grayscale/loss,forestgain?tab=countries-tab&amp;begin=2001-01-01&amp;end=2015-01-01&amp;threshold=30" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GLAD tree cover loss and gain</a> on Global Forest Watch has been <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262767542_Comment_on_High-resolution_global_maps_of_21st-century_forest_cover_change" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">criticized</a> for being unable to distinguish between types of loss like the permanent conversion of natural forests—what most of our users care about—and the harvesting of managed plantations.  In response, Global Forest Watch teamed up with <a href="http://www.transparentworld.ru/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Transparent World</a> to map the extent and location of plantations in seven key tropical countries: <a href="http://bit.ly/1ZnP1MG" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brazil</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/1Q9ho0F" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cambodia</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/1Q9hqWn" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Colombia</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/1Q9htRP" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Indonesia</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/1ZnP6Qz" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Liberia</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/1Q9hsxp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Malaysia</a> and <a href="http://bit.ly/1ZnQeUl" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Peru</a>. The new maps, combined with forest change data on Global Forest Watch, now lets users see not just tree cover loss, but forest loss. <a href="http://content.globalforestwatch.org/2016/01/forest-loss-pushes-far-beyond-plantation-boundaries-in-south-america-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read our launch blog</a>. <h3>Recalibrating Global Trends</h3> Separating forest loss from loss inside plantations can have a major impact on our understanding of global forest change trends. For example, in 2014 Malaysia had the fourth highest tree cover loss in the tropics as a percentage of its total forested area. However, if you only look at loss outside of plantation areas in Malaysia (i.e. loss in natural forest) it would move down to #21. Comparisons were made using loss as a proportion of total forested area to correct for the fact that bigger countries and countries with more forests tend to have greater loss. This is in part because plantations cover almost a third (30.2 percent) of Malaysia’s land area—the country converted much of their remaining natural forests for oil palm and other crops decades ago. Making the distinction helps us understand these complex landscape dynamics and can have a big impact on which areas we <a href="http://content.globalforestwatch.org/2016/01/forests-are-in-the-paris-agreement-now-what/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">prioritize for conservation</a> around the world. <h3>Translating Alerts</h3> Plantation maps can also be a game changer for those who closely monitor new forest changes using the Global Forest Watch near real-time alerts. Tree cover loss alerts within existing plantations are more likely to reflect routine harvesting. Even when the loss is unplanned, it will likely have lesser impact on ecosystem services than loss in natural forests as plantations often store <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1354-1013.2002.00486.x/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">less carbon</a> and harbor <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alexandra_Morel/publication/23241563_How_will_oil_palm_expansion_affect_biodiversity/links/02bfe5114f1a0c7175000000.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">less biodiversity</a>. Therefore, forest managers can use GFW alerts and plantations maps together to better focus limited resources toward higher-conservation value forest areas. <div class="center"><iframe style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/embed/map/10/2.62/102.51/ALL/grayscale/forma/670?tab=analysis-tab&amp;begin=2015-01-01&amp;end=2015-08-01" height="600" width="100%" frameborder="0"></iframe>Forest managers can now identify that these tree cover loss alerts occur within existing plantations, and thus are less important for their work.</div> <h3>Snapshots Are Just the First Step</h3> Though a powerful addition to the suite of forest change data available on Global Forest Watch, the plantation maps <b>only provide a snapshot of 2013 and 2014</b> and don’t tell us anything about the land use prior to 2013. For example, tree cover loss in 2012 and earlier seen within mapped plantations could be previous harvest cycles, or it could be clearing of natural forests to establish the plantation (i.e. deforestation). Mapping plantations from 2000 (the farthest back our tree cover change data go) to 2012 would give us a better sense of when plantations were established and therefore where deforestation occurred during that time period. Similarly, we would need regularly updated plantation maps to detect forest loss in the future.  But that’s easier said than done. The 2013 and 2014 maps were created through a <a href="http://www.wri.org/publication/mapping-tree-plantations?utm_campaign=plantations&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=learnmore&amp;utm_term=technicalnote_plantations&amp;utm_content=hyperlink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">labor-intensive process</a> (i.e. by hand!) because remote-sensing technologies cannot yet accurately distinguish plantations from natural forests. Still, while we wait for technology to fill the gap, these maps highlight the importance of securing efforts to build upon this work to continue improving forest monitoring systems. <div class="center"><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-3911" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" alt="ENG_malaysia_plantations" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ENG_malaysia_plantations.gif" width="100%" />View this area on the <a href="http://bit.ly/1VkLPQI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">interactive map</a>.</div> <h3>See For Yourself! 5 Ways to Use the New Plantations Data</h3> You can find the plantations data under the “Land Cover” tab on the interactive GFW map, or under the country data for each of the seven countries. Clicking on each individual plantation boundary gives more information on the plantation type (i.e. industrial, small-scale, etc.), area, and the probable species (i.e. oil palm, rubber, fruit, etc.).  Here are five ways users can interact with the new plantations data to find the information they care about most: <ol> 	<li><strong>Analyze Loss Inside Plantations:</strong> <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/12/2.72/102.61/ALL/grayscale/loss/670?tab=analysis-tab&amp;begin=2001-01-01&amp;end=2015-01-01&amp;threshold=30" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Calculate</a> how many hectares of tree cover loss occurred in any plantation by selecting a plantation shape and then clicking the “Analyze” button</li> 	<li><strong>Find Areas of Interest:</strong> See where plantations overlap with <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/13/-2.88/-40.43/ALL/grayscale/none/670,612?tab=analysis-tab" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">protected areas</a>, biodiversity hotspots, Intact Forest Landscapes, and other important areas for conservation</li> 	<li><strong>Calculate Carbon Emissions:</strong> Find out how much tree cover loss and emissions come from plantations in each of the seven countries on their <a href="http://climate.globalforestwatch.org/countries">GFW Climate country profile page</a></li> 	<li><strong>Download the Data:</strong> Get the data from the <a href="http://data.globalforestwatch.org/datasets/baae47df61ed4a73a6f54f00cb4207e0_5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Open Data Portal</a> and to use in your own analysis</li> 	<li><strong>See Loss Outside Plantations:</strong> Learn the area and percent of tree cover loss outside of plantations for the seven countries on their <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/countries">country profiles pages</a></li> </ol> We hope the new plantation maps are a major step forward in forest monitoring. The data allows us to look past the trees to truly see the forest.  <hr />  <div class="attribute">Oil palm nursery near Bengkulu, Sumatra. Photo by James Anderson for WRI (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldresourcesinstitute/14244774048/in/album-72157645236707433/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Flickr</a>).</div>  <hr />  <style type="text/css"></style>

By Mikaela Weisse The difference between forest and “tree cover” may be subtle, but it is important. Tree cover describes all trees and vegetation taller

When Tree Cover Loss is Really Forest Loss: New Plantation Maps Improve Forest Monitoring | Global Forest Watch Blog

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<p>By <a href="http://www.wri.org/profile/octavia-aris-payne" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Octavia Payne</a> and <a href="http://www.wri.org/profile/karla-renschler" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Karla Renschler</a>  Today, <a href="https://www.urthecast.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">UrtheCast</a> became the latest company to lend its immense earth observation capacity to conservation efforts. In partnership with <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Global Forest Watch</a> (GFW), UrtheCast is providing free access to high-resolution satellite imagery—15m pansharpened Landsat 8 imagery, 22m Deimos-1 imagery and 5m Theia imagery—through the GFW platform.  The new GFW feature goes far beyond standard satellite imagery basemaps, providing new images daily and allowing users to sort by filter, maximum cloud cover percentage and date range. UrtheCast imagery on GFW goes back to early 2013 and will be updated as new images are acquired, with some imagery captured in 2016 already on GFW. GFW users will also eventually be able to subscribe to receive email updates when new images for their areas of interest are acquired. </p>
<div class="center"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter  wp-image-3755" alt="Google vs Urthecast Imagery" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Google-vs-Urthecast-Imagery.jpg" width="100%" /></div>
<h3>Capturing the World’s Forests in Unparalleled Detail</h3>
<p> Around <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/ForestCarbon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">30 percent of the Earth</a> is covered in forests, and accurately monitoring such a huge area requires information with both wide coverage and great detail. Large-scale public satellite programs help scan forests rapidly at medium and coarse resolutions, but to really understand how a forest is changing, or to identify the drivers of deforestation, you need high-resolution satellite images that reveal what is really happening on the ground. Forest managers have traditionally lacked the latter—less than a decade ago, even a moderate-resolution image could cost thousands of dollars, rendering this powerful resource too expensive for academics and the public.  That all changed when NASA and USGS <a href="http://landsat.usgs.gov/products_data_at_no_charge.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">began releasing their Landsat archives</a> for free in 2008. The Landsat archives featured a 35-year record of Earth surface imagery, setting a new bar for transparency in observing changes to the environment. However, Landsat is a moderate resolution sensor, better suited for monitoring broad trends than examining individual locations.  The release of UrtheCast images on the GFW platform changes the game again, creating new opportunities to analyze critical information about specific environmental issues, including deforestation. GFW users can now track and verify deforestation with an unparalleled degree of detail. Complementing GFW’s data sets and alert systems with timely high-resolution imagery opens the door to accurately monitor environmentally impacting activities, like clearing in the last of Cambodia’s remaining primary forests for rubber plantations or illegal gold mining in Madre de Dios, Peru. </p>
<h3>Cambodia Losing Primary Forests to Logging</h3>
<p> <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/country/KHM" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cambodia</a>’s primary forests, which used to cover 70 percent of the country, have been severely degraded by logging. Today, primary forest cover stands at only 3 percent. GFW’s tree cover loss data from the University of Maryland shows that logging continues to fragment the last stands of Cambodia’s intact forest. </p>
<div class="center">  <img decoding="async" class="aligncenter  wp-image-3751" alt="Urthecast-Cambodia-TCL-gif-FINAL-VERSION" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Urthecast-Cambodia-TCL-gif-FINAL-VERSION.gif" width="100%" />  UrtheCast imagery confirms this trend and the danger to the remaining primary forest, as swaths of existing forest are converted for agriculture and plantations. UrtheCast imagery also provides a more up-to-date look compared to the standard basemap satellite images.  <iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/embed/map/12/13.25/105.40/ALL/grayscale/none/680?dont_analyze=true&hresolution=eyJ6b29tIjoxMiwic2F0ZWxsaXRlIjoidXJ0aGUiLCJjb2xvcl9maWx0ZXIiOiJyZ2IiLCJjbG91ZCI6IjEwIiwibWluZGF0ZSI6IjIwMTQtMTAtMDkiLCJtYXhkYXRlIjoiMjAxNi0wMS0xMSJ9" height="600" width="100%" frameborder="0"></iframe>  </div>
<h3>Illegal Gold Mining Degrades Forests in Peru’s Madre de Dios Region</h3>
<p> In the Madre de Dios region of <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/country/PER" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Peru</a>, illegal gold mining has been degrading forests since the boom in gold prices started in 2007. Logging and gold mining have <a href="http://content.globalforestwatch.org/2015/12/guest-post-maap-21-illegal-gold-mining-deforestation-enters-tambopata-national-reserve-madre-de-dios-peru-high-resolution-view/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reduced the area’s intact rainforests into mercury-contaminated pools</a>. According to the GLAD tree cover loss data on GFW, this area lost over 10,000 hectares of forest between 2001 and 2014, destroying nearly one-quarter of its tree cover. </p>
<div class="center"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3753" alt="Tree-Cover-Loss-Madre-de-Dios-Peru-New" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Tree-Cover-Loss-Madre-de-Dios-Peru-New.gif" width="100%" /></div>
<p> UrtheCast imagery reveals that the expansion of gold mining activities continues to encroach into the Tambopata National Reserve’s buffer zone. The National Reserve is <a href="http://www.perunature.com/bahuaja-sonene-national-park.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">one of the most biodiverse regions in the world</a>, sustaining a host of rare animals and over 20,000 species of plants. </p>
<div class="center"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3757" alt="Urthecast-Peru-PA" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Urthecast-Peru-PA.gif" width=""100%" /></div>
<p> As the examples from Cambodia and Peru illustrate, the level of specificity provided by UrtheCast imagery help tell a much more complete story of the conditions of forests around the world.  Today, many forest stakeholders rely on remote sensing technologies powered by satellite imagery to make better-informed decisions around forest management and conservation. Thanks to companies like UrtheCast, access to high-quality images continues to increase, as does our ability to monitor global forest change and put information into the hands of more stakeholders around the world. </p>
<div class="center">  <iframe loading="lazy" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/144068246?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" height="360" width="100%" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0"></iframe>  <a href="https://vimeo.com/144068246" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Perspectives</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user41134727" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">UrtheCast</a>  </div>
<p> <em>Sign up for our <a href="http://www.wri.org/global-forest-watch-updates-and-newsletter" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">newsletter</a> for more updates.</em>  </p>
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<div class="attribute">BANNER PHOTO: Forests of Québec, Canada. Image captured by Theia, UrtheCast‘s 5-meter resolution camera onboard the International Space Station. (<a href="http://gallery.urthecast.com/eastern-canadian-forests" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">UrtheCast</a>)</div>
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UrtheCast offers a high-resolution view of the world’s forests on Global Forest Watch

By <a href="http://www.wri.org/profile/octavia-aris-payne" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Octavia Payne</a> and <a href="http://www.wri.org/profile/karla-renschler" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Karla Renschler</a>  Today, <a href="https://www.urthecast.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">UrtheCast</a> became the latest company to lend its immense earth observation capacity to conservation efforts. In partnership with <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Global Forest Watch</a> (GFW), UrtheCast is providing free access to high-resolution satellite imagery—15m pansharpened Landsat 8 imagery, 22m Deimos-1 imagery and 5m Theia imagery—through the GFW platform.  The new GFW feature goes far beyond standard satellite imagery basemaps, providing new images daily and allowing users to sort by filter, maximum cloud cover percentage and date range. UrtheCast imagery on GFW goes back to early 2013 and will be updated as new images are acquired, with some imagery captured in 2016 already on GFW. GFW users will also eventually be able to subscribe to receive email updates when new images for their areas of interest are acquired. <div class="center"><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-3755" alt="Google vs Urthecast Imagery" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Google-vs-Urthecast-Imagery.jpg" width="100%" /></div> <h3>Capturing the World's Forests in Unparalleled Detail</h3> Around <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/ForestCarbon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">30 percent of the Earth</a> is covered in forests, and accurately monitoring such a huge area requires information with both wide coverage and great detail. Large-scale public satellite programs help scan forests rapidly at medium and coarse resolutions, but to really understand how a forest is changing, or to identify the drivers of deforestation, you need high-resolution satellite images that reveal what is really happening on the ground. Forest managers have traditionally lacked the latter—less than a decade ago, even a moderate-resolution image could cost thousands of dollars, rendering this powerful resource too expensive for academics and the public.  That all changed when NASA and USGS <a href="http://landsat.usgs.gov/products_data_at_no_charge.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">began releasing their Landsat archives</a> for free in 2008. The Landsat archives featured a 35-year record of Earth surface imagery, setting a new bar for transparency in observing changes to the environment. However, Landsat is a moderate resolution sensor, better suited for monitoring broad trends than examining individual locations.  The release of UrtheCast images on the GFW platform changes the game again, creating new opportunities to analyze critical information about specific environmental issues, including deforestation. GFW users can now track and verify deforestation with an unparalleled degree of detail. Complementing GFW’s data sets and alert systems with timely high-resolution imagery opens the door to accurately monitor environmentally impacting activities, like clearing in the last of Cambodia’s remaining primary forests for rubber plantations or illegal gold mining in Madre de Dios, Peru. <h3>Cambodia Losing Primary Forests to Logging</h3> <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/country/KHM" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cambodia</a>’s primary forests, which used to cover 70 percent of the country, have been severely degraded by logging. Today, primary forest cover stands at only 3 percent. GFW’s tree cover loss data from the University of Maryland shows that logging continues to fragment the last stands of Cambodia’s intact forest. <div class="center">  <img class="aligncenter  wp-image-3751" alt="Urthecast-Cambodia-TCL-gif-FINAL-VERSION" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Urthecast-Cambodia-TCL-gif-FINAL-VERSION.gif" width="100%" />  UrtheCast imagery confirms this trend and the danger to the remaining primary forest, as swaths of existing forest are converted for agriculture and plantations. UrtheCast imagery also provides a more up-to-date look compared to the standard basemap satellite images.  <iframe src="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/embed/map/12/13.25/105.40/ALL/grayscale/none/680?dont_analyze=true&amp;hresolution=eyJ6b29tIjoxMiwic2F0ZWxsaXRlIjoidXJ0aGUiLCJjb2xvcl9maWx0ZXIiOiJyZ2IiLCJjbG91ZCI6IjEwIiwibWluZGF0ZSI6IjIwMTQtMTAtMDkiLCJtYXhkYXRlIjoiMjAxNi0wMS0xMSJ9" height="600" width="100%" frameborder="0"></iframe>  </div> <h3>Illegal Gold Mining Degrades Forests in Peru’s Madre de Dios Region</h3> In the Madre de Dios region of <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/country/PER" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Peru</a>, illegal gold mining has been degrading forests since the boom in gold prices started in 2007. Logging and gold mining have <a href="http://content.globalforestwatch.org/2015/12/guest-post-maap-21-illegal-gold-mining-deforestation-enters-tambopata-national-reserve-madre-de-dios-peru-high-resolution-view/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reduced the area’s intact rainforests into mercury-contaminated pools</a>. According to the GLAD tree cover loss data on GFW, this area lost over 10,000 hectares of forest between 2001 and 2014, destroying nearly one-quarter of its tree cover. <div class="center"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3753" alt="Tree-Cover-Loss-Madre-de-Dios-Peru-New" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Tree-Cover-Loss-Madre-de-Dios-Peru-New.gif" width="100%" /></div> UrtheCast imagery reveals that the expansion of gold mining activities continues to encroach into the Tambopata National Reserve’s buffer zone. The National Reserve is <a href="http://www.perunature.com/bahuaja-sonene-national-park.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">one of the most biodiverse regions in the world</a>, sustaining a host of rare animals and over 20,000 species of plants. <div class="center"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3757" alt="Urthecast-Peru-PA" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Urthecast-Peru-PA.gif" width="&quot;100%" /></div> As the examples from Cambodia and Peru illustrate, the level of specificity provided by UrtheCast imagery help tell a much more complete story of the conditions of forests around the world.  Today, many forest stakeholders rely on remote sensing technologies powered by satellite imagery to make better-informed decisions around forest management and conservation. Thanks to companies like UrtheCast, access to high-quality images continues to increase, as does our ability to monitor global forest change and put information into the hands of more stakeholders around the world. <div class="center">  <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/144068246?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0" height="360" width="100%" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0"></iframe>  <a href="https://vimeo.com/144068246" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Perspectives</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user41134727" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">UrtheCast</a>  </div> <em>Sign up for our <a href="http://www.wri.org/global-forest-watch-updates-and-newsletter" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">newsletter</a> for more updates.</em>  <hr />  <div class="attribute">BANNER PHOTO: Forests of Québec, Canada. Image captured by Theia, UrtheCast‘s 5-meter resolution camera onboard the International Space Station. (<a href="http://gallery.urthecast.com/eastern-canadian-forests" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">UrtheCast</a>)</div>  <hr />  <style type="text/css"></style>

By Octavia Payne and Karla Renschler Today, UrtheCast became the latest company to lend its immense earth observation capacity to conservation efforts. In

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When Tree Cover Loss is Really Forest Loss: New Plantation Maps Improve Forest Monitoring

UrtheCast offers a high-resolution view of the world’s forests on Global Forest Watch