Forest Regrowth

Project description
Estimating forest regrowth rates is essential to optimize reforestation planning. These rates can vary across the landscape depending on local factors such as environmental conditions and disturbance regimes. We are working on a regrowth potential model for deforested lands in Panama, estimating carbon sequestration rates based on locally specific conditions, using remote sensing data and ground-truthing with plot data from Agua Salud (STRI). In addition, we are building a model of deforestation probability. Those two layers will allow for identification of which regions of the country have the highest potential for natural regrowth and lowest probability of deforestation, allowing for better allocation of resources into tree planting or protection strategies.

Leads: Ana Catarina Avila Vitorino, Brian Leung, Fiona Soper

Publications: To follow