Project/activity information

This project is part of a series of research programs developed jointly by BIOTROP, CIFOR, USDA Forest Service, and the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry. It focuses on the evaluation of forest ecosystems, and more specifically, indicators related to changes, trends, casual agents and mechanisms of forest health.

Activities include the establishment of forest health monitoring plots within the existing Indonesian forest inventory plots to monitor parameters relevant to forest sustainability and biodiversity.

Invited scientists will evaluate indicators pertaining to forest mensuration (growth, regeneration, mortality, stand structure), crowns (structure, defoliation, leaf area index), and damage (insects, disease, abiotic, and logging) aspects. A methodology will be developed to link remote sensing techniques to ground based monitoring plots and an ecological classification system. It would lead to a study of the relationship between the condition of a forest ecosystem, a trend of biodiversity indicators, and human activities.

Various reports on the establishment of monitoring plots on assesment through diverse remote sensing techniques and an early warning of changes in canopy will be produced by the project. In addition, training on the establishment of forest health monitoring plots will also be provided.