Data from: Integrated radar and lidar analysis reveals extensive loss of remaining intact forest on Sumatra 2007–2010

Forests with high above ground biomass (AGB), including those growing on peat swamps, have historically not been thought suitable for biomass mapping and change detection using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). However, by integrating L-band (λ = 0.23 m) SAR with lidar data from the ALOS and ICESat earth-observing satellites respectively, and 56 forest plots, we were able to create a forest biomass and change map for a 10.7 Mha section of eastern Sumatra that still contains high AGB peat swamp forest. Using a time series of SAR data we estimated changes in both forest area and AGB. We estimate that there were 274 ± 68 Tg AGB remaining in natural forest (≥ 20 m height) in the study area in 2007, with this stock reducing by approximately 11.4% over the subsequent 3 years. A total of 137.4 kha of the study area were deforested between 2007 and 2010; an average rate of 3.8% yr−1. The ability to attribute forest loss to different initial biomass values allows for far more effective monitoring and baseline modelling for avoided deforestation projects than traditional, optical-based remote sensing. Furthermore, given SAR's ability to penetrate the smoke and cloud which normally obscure land cover change in this region, SAR-based forest monitoring can be relied on to provide frequent imagery. This study demonstrates that even at L-band, which typically saturates at medium biomass levels (ca. 150 Mg ha−1), it is possible to make reliable estimates of not just the area but the carbon emissions resulting from land use change.

Collins and Mitchard - Above ground forest biomass estimated for 2007
This GeoTiff file provides estimate of per-pixel above ground biomass (AGB) for a section of Sumatra in 2007. Only those pixels with forest of height greater or equal to 20m in 2007 were included. The maximum AGB estimated per pixel is 236.5 Mg ha^-1. The minimum per pixel biomass is 0 Mg ha^-1. The projection is UTM48S. The pixel size is ~100m x 100m.
Collins and Mitchard Estimated AGB Sumatra 2007 - DataDryad.tif
Collins and Mitchard Sumatra Deforestation 2007-10 coded -DataDryad
This GeoTiff map shows: *areas of forest of height greater or equal to 20m in 2007 that is stable over time (coded as 0). *Areas of forest of the above definition, but that we lost between 2007-8 (coded as 1). *Areas of forest of the above definition, but that were deforested between 2008-9 (coded as 2). *Areas of forest of the above definition, but that but that were deforested between 2009-10 (coded as 3). *Pixels which did not contain forest of height greater or equal to 20m in 2007 are excluded from the analysis (coded as 'no data').

Collins, Murray B.; Mitchard, Edward T. A. (2015). Data from: Integrated radar and lidar analysis reveals extensive loss of remaining intact forest on Sumatra 2007–2010 [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.4cc5m