Space Imagery Helps in Detecting Forestry Crimes

15 October 2009, 8:30pm

Operations of the system for space monitoring of the Russian forest keep proving the efficiency of using space imagery materials in observing and monitoring forestry management in our country.

As far back as 2005-2008 on behalf of the Federal Forestry Agency ScanEx Research and Development Center in conjunction with Roslesinforg developed and commissioned the system for space monitoring of the Russian forests with annual high resolution (2 – 10 meters) imagery of the entire area of intensive forest use (over 110 million ha).

Presently the coverage of the entire area under survey is accomplished through the use of the six most productive satellites: IRS-1D, IRS-P5/P6, SPOT 4/5, Formosat-2. Near real-time data arrive at the network of UniScan receiving stations. The entire data flow process chain “from a satellite to an interpreter” has been set up: almost uninterruptible supply of images was provided to the regional centers of Roslesinforg for continuous detection of changes in forests.

On the basis of integrated data with the use of satellite images, regional authorities monitor operations of the forestry enterprises, as this industry remains the most attractive environment for the crime. Thus in early October the press-service of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate of the Krasnoyarsk Territory published information on uncovering illegal activities in the sphere of forest management: « In the current year 444 criminal acts have been registered in the Krasnoyarsk Territory that fall within the scope of Article 260 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (illegal felling of trees and bushes) … Officers of Internal Affairs Directorate actively utilize advanced methods for detection of illegal felling, in particular airborne patrol, remote monitoring of forest use on the basis of space imagery materials. 2790 clear-cuts with total area of 46.3 thousand hectares were reviewed and analyzed in the process of monitoring. Felling outside allocated areas was revealed in a number of forestry divisions» (http://www.krasguvd.ru/news/2009/10/01/7874/).

— Application of space imagery in achieving goals of the forestry industry complex is especially efficient in monitoring areas being large in size and hard to access. Created in our country the system of continuous satellite forest imaging featuring high spatial resolution shall keep to be extensively used for achieving goals, monitoring and control of forest management, - assures Director of East-Siberian branch of the State Forest Inventory Viktor Skudin.

Details on the system for space monitoring of the Russian forests are available in the article “Remote Monitoring of the Russian Forests: the Concept and Implementation" by Head of Laboratory of the RAS Institute of Forest Science Alexander Maslov. The article was published in the first issue of the magazine "Earth from Space – the Most Effective Solutions" (pages 5-9).

Detailed information on use of satellite data for accomplishing goals of forest management and inventory will be available at the 4th International Conference “Earth from Space – the Most Effective Solutions». The conference can be attended by all interested. Registration of participants is open.

ScanEx RDC

Geo: International