Climate and forest monitoring

Our work in mapping and estimating climate and forest models has led to vast improvements in understanding these complex systems. This work is helping to preserve ecosystems and save lives.

geos-general-unsplash close-up forest

Forest and Biomass monitoring

We have pioneered the use of radar remote sensing techniques to determine above-ground biomass and biomass change, a major pool of Carbon. Biomass is also a strong indicator of local biodiversity. It also provides timber, fuel and other products that support society and its well-being.

We have developed methods to provide state-of-the-art estimates of ecosystems that combine new data sources with carbon cycle modelling. This advance allowed us to show, for the first time, how repeated biomass data can be used to calibrate and improve land Carbon models.

We also introduced the first global mapping of Carbon residence times for vegetation pools. Improved satellite monitoring of forests and biomass has helped us protect and restore up to 300 million hectares of tropical forests

Our globally leading research in modelling, data assimilation and remote sensing of forests has also made it possible to map and interpret changes in forest carbon. With this information, we support organisations to influence policy in multiple countries and the development of forest policy and subsequent implementation to meet international reporting requirements for the United Nations. 

Through product development, we are also enhancing the growth of UK and worldwide environmental businesses.  For example, our work on biomass mapping and advanced carbon cycle modelling has supported UK industry to develop new products and services for forest sustainability. 

Climate and extreme weather

Our researchers work with specialist technologies and other organisations to monitor the effects of climate and extreme weather. Through the use of better data for decision making, we can provide weather forecasts in near real-time. This work impacts the lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide, from everyday life and economies through to improving early awareness of catastrophic extreme weather events that can save lives. 

Our work in climate and forest monitoring

We work in partnership with small satellite technology provider Orbital Micro Systems (OMS) through the Bayes Centre.

Through our research environment and facilities, the analytical wing of OMS transitioned to Edinburgh from the USA in 2018, forming the International Centre for Earth Data (ICED) along with the University of Colorado.  

ICED gathers, processes, and delivers weather information from public and commercial sources for researchers, governments and commercial enterprises around the world. We use updates on worldwide conditions every fifteen minutes such as temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure to enable our researchers to provide forecasts in near real-time, assisting those working in insurance, agriculture, aviation and shipping. 

The output from the ICED has real world impacts such as:

  • improved crop yields
  • safer route planning for flights and shipping
  • better land management where forest fires, landslides, and other natural disasters are prevalent.

The collaboration aims to improve warnings and forecasts of extreme weather and natural disasters worldwide, with the potential to save lives.

Collaborative work

Researchers from OMS reside in the University's Bayes Centre and work with our researchers in geosciences, high-performance computing, and informatics to design data and analytics technology for their satellites. The technology is equipped with sensors to gather quarter-hourly updates on global conditions. The resulting data stream is interpreted by researchers then delivered to clients across the world to enable near real-time decision making and high-value forecasts.

In 2020, Orbital Micro Systems launched a spin-out called Weather Stream which will be responsible for its stake in the ICED.  Through the ICED platform, Weather Stream will continue to valuable data sets for government and business customers that rely on precise, real-time information to build accurate forecasts

Find out more on the Orbital Micro Systems website:


We regularly collaborate with Ecometrica, an Edinburgh-based organisation, to provide effective environmental monitoring solutions for business, government and communities.  

Forests 2020

We worked with Ecometrica on the Forests 2020 project through our Centre for Sustainable Forests and Landscapes. Our work resulted in of £14 million of UK Space Agency funding. This major investment helps protect and restore up to 300million hectares of tropical forests by improving forest monitoring in six partner countries through advanced satellite data. The project led to the development of tools to measure and forecast biomass change and the delivery of these outputs to customers worldwide.

Hectares Indicator

Our team's research has also been critical to the development of Ecometrica's 'Hectares Indicator'. A key part of the UK's commitment under the Copenhagen Accord is to support developing countries in mitigating and adapting to climate change through low-carbon growth, reduced deforestation and increased resilience. Funding for forest-related programmes as part of this is approximately £200 million per year. To ensure this is used effectively and efficiently, the 'Hectares Indicator' is used by the UK Government.

You can learn more about Forests 2020 and the 'Hectares Indicator' on the Ecometrica website:


Our work on biomass mapping contributed to a US$6.5 million World Bank project to develop capabilities and satellite monitoring tools to assess forest degradation.

The World Bank developed the Satellite Monitoring for Forest Management (SMFM) project to develop satellite Earth observation methods to address challenges related to monitoring tropical dry forest ecosystems and forest degradation. The World Bank contracted LTS International to carry out its implementation alongside our team of researchers at the University of Edinburgh. 

It will be applicable globally for sustainable forest management and United Nations REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) schemes, particularly across sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South America. 

You can learn more about satellite monitoring for forest management on the project website:


Our research has supported global climate forecast capability.

For example, we are assisting the Brazilian Institute for Space Research to advance its national carbon and forest modelling capability.

Brazil has the largest tropical forest biomass and coverage of any country in the world. With a University and Brazilian partnership built over 20 years, our team’s world-leading expertise and insights around regional carbon cycles and flows at a regional level has been critical to developing the modelling capacity of the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

The resulting analyses from INPE are informing and improving the Brazilian national carbon cycle model. This is critical to provide a greenhouse gas balance estimate to guide mitigation policies and supports the Brazilian Government Working Group on the United Nations REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) scheme.


  • Contributors: Professor Edward Mitchard and Dr Murray Collins
  • Duration: 3 minutes 22 seconds

In this video, Professor Edward Mitchard and Dr Murray Collins, explain the importance of the rainforest and the threat it faces. They explain how by combining several different methods of remote sensing, they have been able to map biomass data more accurately in order to study the effects of deforestation in tropical forests.  


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