04/18/2022 | Press release | Archived content
The boreal forest is one of the largest intact ecosystems left on the planet; however, there are a growing number of human-induced environmental changes that are impacting this vast ecosystem. Numerous integrated research programs focused on boreal forests of Canada have joined forces to use advanced satellite data available from Planet to document how past, present, and future changes are altering the ability of the boreal forest to sustain biodiversity and the people that call this ecosystem home. Through the Planet Education and Research program, the University of Alberta, Yukon University, and the University of Calgary are now using Planet data to map, monitor, and model the dynamics systems of the Canadian Boreal Forest.
Map of Canada's boreal forests. Data Sources: Natural Earth, University of Maryland, Natural Resources Canada. Map by Leanne Abraham."Biodiversity in the boreal is facing new challenges due to growing industries and climate change, but Planet's high-cadence satellite imagery is helping us to assess the shifting ecosystem dynamics in the region and support data-informed decision making in Canada," said Dr. Erin Bayne, the PI for the Boreal Avian Modelling Project. "A network of research initiatives now leverages Planet's data to evaluate bird populations, vegetation dynamics, and industrial disturbances. This data then helps us to model sustainable interventions to put these forests on a suitable recovery trajectory."
These interconnected projects support a comprehensive scientific understanding of this ecosystem using Planet's data:
"At Planet, we believe that you can't manage what you can't measure. The protection of Earth's critical biodiversity requires innovative programs like BAM, BEACONS, BERA, and ABMI that conduct novel research by measuring, monitoring, and modeling dynamic ecosystem states in the boreal forest. We are thrilled to be providing our daily satellite datasets to researchers working on the protection of vital ecosystems," said Planet Director of Science Programs Joe Mascaro.
This new collaboration comes as Planet's Education and Research Program celebrates its five year anniversary. Launched on Earth Day (April 22) of 2017, our E&R Program was designed to provide opportunities for students, researchers, and professors, associated with accredited universities, to access our unique satellite datasets. With this access, participants can review, download, and analyze Planet's archive of remote sensing data and publish key results.
The program has grown over the last five years, and to date, the number of universities purchasing Planet's Education and Research site licenses for scientific applications has reached 80 schools in 16 countries, including Yamaguchi University in Japan, MIT and Arizona State University in the US, and Stockholm University in Sweden. Including Planet's Education and Research Program, their NICFI Satellite Data Program, the company's recent acquisition of VanderSat, and their partnerships with NASA and DLR, Planet's data has now contributed to >1,800 academic publications since 2016.