Policies to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation ...

Table 3.1
Utility and Cost of
Optical Sensors
Currently Used to
Monitor
Deforestation
Source: reproduced from
DeFries et al. (2006)
with the establishment of a local governance institution (Trines et al. 2006). Degradation can also
result from large-scale selective logging, which is more costly to abate.
Forest degradation can be defined by a tree cover criterion, a forest biomass criterion, or some
combination thereof. The decision of how to define degradation and whether to monitor it will
affect the cost and complexity of a monitoring program.
Mollicone et al. (2007) suggest a categorization scheme that divides land into intact forest, nonintact
forest, and nonforest, based on a combination of canopy cover criteria and human impact criteria.
This scheme accounts for the degradation of carbon stocks that can occur in forests. Although
this scheme allows for more accurate accounting of carbon stocks, it is also more costly
and more difficult to employ because of the higher-resolution imagery required to distinguish
among forest categories.
Measurement of Distinctions Among Categories
A number of studies have concluded that current technology can accurately measure tropical deforestation
(DeFries et al. 2005, 2006; UNFCCC 2006; Mollicone et al. 2007). However, continued
monitoring capabilities rely on the successful launch of the latest Landsat sensor, scheduled for
2010, without which land cover monitoring will be compromised (DeFries et al. 2005). Existing
data will allow for the establishment of baseline deforestation rates against which current rates
can be compared (DeFries et al. 2005). Table 3.1 provides an overview of the technologies available
to monitor deforestation.
Geographic and ecological characteristics, such as seasonality of forests, slope, and cloud cover
affect the choice of appropriate methodologies. For example, a deciduous forest in a temperate
climate would have to be observed in the summer lest it appear not to meet a forest canopy criterion.
Other types of forests would have to be monitored multiple times per year. Although no
single methodology will be appropriate for all forest types, many suitable methods and protocols
exist or can be developed through the adaptation of existing methodologies.
SENSOR EXAMPLES OF UTILITY FOR
RESOLUTION CURRENT SENSORS MONITORING COST
Very high (10–20 ha) and locate
“hotspots” for further
analysis with high
resolution
3 Policies to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in Developing Countries