Remotely sensed tree canopy cover-based indicators for monitoring global sustainability and environmental initiatives

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creativework.keywordsforest cover monitoring, tree canopy cover, sustainable development goal indicators, deforestation, forest degradation, forest plantations, Earth observation
dc.contributor.authorEstoque, Ronald C.
dc.contributor.authorJohnson, Brian A.
dc.contributor.authorGao, Yan
dc.contributor.authorDasgupta, Rajarshi
dc.contributor.authorOoba, Makoto
dc.contributor.authorTogawa, Takuya
dc.contributor.authorHijioka, Yasuaki
dc.contributor.authorMurayama, Yuji
dc.contributor.authorGavina, Lilito D.
dc.contributor.authorLasco, Rodel D.
dc.contributor.authorNakamura, Shogo
dc.date.accessioned2026-08-19T02:13:29Z
dc.date.available2026-08-19T02:13:29Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.descriptionFull text
dc.description.abstractWith the intensifying challenges of global environmental change, sustainability, and biodiversity conservation, the monitoring of the world's remaining forests has become more important than ever. Today, Earth observation technologies, particularly remote sensing, are at the forefront of forest cover monitoring worldwide. Given the current conceptual understanding of what a forest is, canopy cover threshold values are used to map forest cover from remote sensing imagery and produce categorical data products such as forest/non-forest (F/NF) maps. However, multi-temporal categorical map products have important limitations because they inadequately represent the actual status of forest landscapes and the trajectories of forest cover changes as a result of the thresholding effect. Here, we examined the potential of using remotely sensed tree canopy cover (TCC) datasets, which are continuous data products, to complement F/NF maps for forest cover monitoring. We developed a conceptual analytical framework for forest cover monitoring using both types of data products and applied it to the forests of Southeast Asia. We conclude that TCC datasets and the statistics derived from them can be used to complement the information provided by categorical F/NF maps. TCC-based indicators (i.e. losses, gains, and net changes) can help in monitoring not only deforestation but also forest degradation and forest cover enhancement, all of which are highly relevant to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other global forest cover monitoring-related initiatives. We recommend that future research should focus on the production, application, and evaluation of TCC datasets to advance the current understanding of how accurately these products can capture changes in forest landscapes across space and time. © 2021 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd.
dc.identifier.citationEstoque R.C., Johnson B.A., Gao Y., Dasgupta R., Ooba M., Togawa T., Hijioka Y., Murayama Y., Gavina L.D., Lasco R.D., & Nakamura S. (2021). Remotely sensed tree canopy cover-based indicators for monitoring global sustainability and environmental initiatives. Environmental Research Letters, 16(4). https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abe5d9
dc.identifier.issn1748-9318
dc.identifier.urihttps://lakasa.dmmmsu.edu.ph/handle/123456789/2374
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherIOP Publishing Ltd
dc.sdgSDG 13
dc.sdg13
dc.subjectTree canopy cover monitoring
dc.subjectRemote sensing
dc.subjectDeforestation
dc.subjectForest conservation
dc.subjectForest cover monitoring
dc.subjectForest cover monitoring
dc.subjectGlobal sustainability
dc.subjectSustainable development goals
dc.subject.ddcForestry
dc.subject.lcshForests and forestry—Remote sensing
dc.subject.lcshForests and forestry—Monitoring
dc.subject.lcshSustainable forestry
dc.subject.lcshRemote sensing
dc.titleRemotely sensed tree canopy cover-based indicators for monitoring global sustainability and environmental initiatives
dc.typeArticle
oaire.citation.issue4
oaire.citation.volume16
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