Sentinel-Assisted Forestry Insight and Research - AI for Climate-Responsive Forest Monitoring in Mountainous Regions
The SAFIR project addresses critical challenges in forest management, particularly in the detection and management of forest disturbances such as windthrows and anomalies due to pests like bark beetles. Current forest monitoring systems are often hindered by factors such as cloud cover and shadows, particularly in satellite imagery, which can delay or obscure the detection of such disturbances. This limitation poses significant problems for timely forest management and can exacerbate the effects of these disturbances, leading to severe ecological and economic consequences, foremost among them the destruction of habitats, loss of biodiversity, and significant financial losses in forestry.
The primary goal of the SAFIR project is to significantly enhance forest monitoring capabilities by integrating advanced AI-driven image refinement techniques into the Green Transformation Information Factory (GTIF). This integration aims to improve the accuracy and speed of forest disturbance detection and analysis, making these systems more responsive and effective. The project’s innovation lies in its use of cutting-edge technologies, including machine learning algorithms for de-shadowing and cloud removal, which are set to refine the quality of satellite imagery specifically for forest monitoring purposes. By doing so, SAFIR seeks to overcome the aforementioned limitations of current monitoring systems, thereby enabling more precise and timely management actions and interventions.
The expected outcome is a scalable, efficient solution for forest disturbance monitoring that can be adapted and used across different geographic regions. This advancement will not only support forest management agencies and policymakers in implementing more effective forest management practices but also contribute to broader environmental conservation efforts. By providing actionable, cross-border information from Earth Observation systems, SAFIR aligns with global efforts to sustainably manage and protect forest ecosystems in the face of ongoing environmental changes and challenges.
Facts
- Project start: 1.11.2024
- Project duration (in months): 36
- Budget: 550 kEUR
- Funding: 400 kEUR
- Project partners: EODC, INESC, BFW, ÖBF
- Project website: https://projekte.ffg.at/projekt/5129561
