EFTAS further develops monitoring procedures for Waldinfo.NRW
How well are forests in North Rhine-Westphalia recovering after the massive damage of recent years? And where is reforestation already taking place – whether through afforestation or natural succession? These questions are the focus of a new research and development project involving Wald und Holz NRW, con terra GmbH, and EFTAS.
EFTAS is on board as a remote sensing expert and is contributing its many years of monitoring experience to the project development. The project is being carried out on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Consumer Protection of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
From damage monitoring to reforestation recording
With the new focus on “reforestation monitoring,” the scope is now expanding. –
The goal is to use remote sensing to systematically record reforestation on former disaster areas—regardless of whether this is achieved through afforestation or natural processes.
Kleine Pflanzen, große Herausforderung
Young trees in particular are difficult to detect using remote sensing – a key challenge in the development of the new monitoring system. Based on initial preliminary tests, EFTAS will design a method based on satellite data and supplementary archive and location data. A prototype will then be developed and the process tested on large-scale test areas.
Together with relevant stakeholders such as the North Rhine-Westphalia State Forestry and Timber Agency, the aim is to develop a standardizable method that is likely to be of interest beyond the state’s borders in the long term.
Next step: From data collection to recommendations for action
In the long term, monitoring should not only make the status of reforestation visible, but also help to derive targeted measures – for example, to support natural regeneration or to plan effective reforestation. The project thus makes an important contribution to climate-resilient forest development in North Rhine-Westphalia.
