The Sudano-Sahelian zone
Monitoring forest carbon with remote sensing in the Sudano-Sahelian zone
Focali Brief 2012:06 by Martin Karlson
Remote sensing technology is regarded as an indispensible component of a REDD+ Measurement Reporting and Verification (MRV) system. However, deriving relevant information on forest carbon stocks and emissions from remote sensing data is not a straightforward process, as this brief shows. The brief is based on a forthcoming article assessing scientific literature of remote sensing in relation to quantifying vegetation and carbon in the Sudano-Sahelian zone by Martin Karlson.
After presenting the finding from the literature assessment the author concludes that the currently available remote sensing technology is not adequate to the complicated task of carbon stock quantification in the zone and that while it may be feasible to map carbon stock on a small scale improved sensors and/or methods are required for larger areas. Karlson further argues that remote sensing can provide valuable data, but that it does not replace field surveys. The remote sensing methods and field surveys are seen as complementary data sources.
Read the brief here
