Characterizing the Congo Basin Forests by a Detailed Forest Typology Enriched with Forest Biophysical Variables

Abstract

Climate and biodiversity challenges require a precise characterization of tropical rainforests in terms of floristic, physiognomy and carbon. This study over the Congo Basin proposes to investigate the compatibility of forest type mapping with the lastly biophysical products such as the tree height, density and maximum potential diameter. First, a map at 20m spatial resolution based on Sentinels data depicting 13 forest types within the humid forest biome of the Central Africa is described. A regionally harmonized typology has been defined with the national experts in the context of the Observatoire des Forêts d’ Afrique Centrale. A crucial mapping step was the production of a cloud-free artifact-free Sentinel-2 mosaic for one of the cloudiest regions in the world. Secondly, the biophysical variables are analyzed for each of the different forest types highlighting their complementarities and their discrepancies and characterizing further in details the diversity of forest stands in Central Africa.