Mark D. Gillis

Canada's National Forest Inventory (responding to current information needs).

Canadas current National Forest Inventory is a periodic compilation of existing inventory material from across the country. While the current approach has many advantages, it lacks information on the nature and rate of changes to the resource, and does not permit projections or forecasts. Beinga compilation of inventories of different dates, the current national forest inventory cannot reflect the current state ofthe forests and therefore cannot be used as a satisfactory baseline for monitoring change. The current format of Canadas National Forest Inventory has served its purpose by providingnational statistical compilations and reporting. However, itsuseful life is coming to a conclusion. To meet new demands, Canada is considering a new National Forest Inventory design consisting of a plot-based system of permanent observational units located on a national grid. The objective of the new inventory design is to assess and monitor the extent, state andsustainability of Canadas forests in a timely and accurate manner. Details of the new inventory design are described. A strategy to respond to Canadas national and international forest reporting commitments through a National Forest Information System is also discussed.

Supporting large-area, sample-based forest inventories with very high spatial resolution satellite imagery

Information needs associated with forest management and reporting requires data with a steadily increasing level of detail and temporal frequency. Remote sensing satellites commonly used for forest monitoring (eg, Landsat, SPOT) typically collect imagery with sufficient temporal frequency, but lack the requisite spatial and categorical detail for some forest inventory information needs. Aerial photography remains a principal data source for forest inventory; however, information extraction is primarily accomplished through manual processes. The spatial, categorical, and temporal information requirements of large-area forest inventories can be met through sample-based data collection. Opportunities exist for very high spatial resolution (VHSR; ie, <1 m) remotely sensed imagery to augment traditional data sources for large-area, sample-based forest inventories, especially for inventory update. In this paper, we synthesize the state-of-the-art in the use of VHSR remotely sensed imagery for forest inventory and monitoring. Based upon this review, we develop a framework for updating a sample-based, large-area forest inventory that incorporates VHSR imagery. Using the information needs of the Canadian National Forest Inventory (NFI) for context, we demonstrate the potential capabilities of VHSR imagery in four phases of the forest inventory update process: stand delineation, automated attribution, manual interpretation, and indirect attribute modelling. Although designed to support the information needs of the Canadian NFI, the framework presented herein could be adapted to support other sample-based, large-area forest monitoring initiatives.

National level forest monitoring and modeling in Canada

Abstract Canada is the steward of some 10% of the world’s forests. Forestry is also the single largest industry in Canada’s economy. The demand for verifiable, current, and credible information on a range of forest indicators is growing as the forests’ ecological, economic, and social functions are increasingly appreciated. To meet this demand for information, Canada is implementing, in co-operation with provincial and territorial resource management agencies, a new National Forest Inventory and a satellite-based forest mapping and monitoring program. The new plot-based forest inventory will provide a statistically valid estimate of the current forest conditions and their changes over time. The satellite-based forest cover information will be used to extend and update some of the inventory attributes. These programs are designed to address various current and future information and reporting needs. One specific application described here is the National Forest Carbon Accounting Framework. It combines data from these (and other) sources to estimate forest carbon stocks and stock changes. Information from these three integrated national programs will support international reporting requirements and will assist in the development of policies aimed at the sustainable development of Canada’s forest resources.

Multiscale satellite and spatial information and analysis framework in support of a large-area forest monitoring and inventory update

Many countries undertake a national forest inventory to enable statistically valid monitoring in support of national and international reporting of forest conditions and change. Canada’s National Forest Inventory (NFI) program is designed to operate on a 10-year remeasurement cycle, with an interim report produced at the 5-year mid-point. The NFI is a sample-based inventory, with approximately 18,850 2 ×2-km photo plots across the country, distributed on a 20×20-km grid of sample points; these photo plots are the primary data source for the NFI. Capacity to provide annual monitoring information is required to keep policy and decision makers apprised of current forest conditions. In this study, we implemented a multistage monitoring framework and used a Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) change product to successfully identify 78% of the changes in forest cover area that were captured with a Landsat change detection approach. Of the NFI photo plots that were identified by both the Landsat and MODIS approaches as having changes in forest cover, the proportion of change area within the plots was similar (R2 = 0.78). Approximately 70% of the Landsat-derived change events occupied less than 40% of a single MODIS pixel, and more than 90% of the change events of this size were successfully detected with the MODIS product. Finally, MODIS estimates of the proportion of forest cover change at the NFI photo plot level were comparable to change estimates for the ecoregions as a whole (R2 = 0.95). High-temporal, low-spatial resolution imagery such as MODIS, in combination with other remotely sensed data sources, can provide information on disturbance events within a national forest inventory remeasurement cycle, thereby satisfying the interim information needs of policy and decision makers as well as the requirements of national and international reporting commitments.

Deforestation estimation for Canada under the Kyoto Protocol: A design study

Deforestation is a persistently important issue locally, nationally, and internationally. It is of interest to the public, foresters, environmental organizations, and governments, yet it is difficult to obtain reliable estimates of its extent and nature. Climate change and the role of forests has given a large impetus for formalizing reporting on deforestation. Under the proposed Kyoto Protocol, industrialized nations are required to report on the carbon consequences of deforestation and include them in their greenhouse gas emissions accounting. Canada must develop measurement systems to report on the area of deforestation and the carbon stock loss. Possible data sources include the new plot-based National Forest Inventory (NFI), land use records, and satellite remote sensing. The NFI is a network of 2 × 2 km plots at a 20 km spacing for which land cover and stand attributes are interpreted from medium-scale aerial photography. In this study, medium-resolution satellite imagery, such as Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM), was explored as a potential tool for deforestation estimation and a survey of available land use records was conducted. Factors affecting the utility of each data source and various system design options were examined. An integrated system is suggested that utilizes the NFI as a base, augmented by satellite remote sensing plots and supported by local records as appropriate.