ESA releases record breaking forest carbon dataset spanning 15 years

ESA releases record breaking forest carbon dataset spanning 15 years
by Erica Marchand
Paris, France (SPX) May 05, 2025

As ESA's new Biomass satellite begins operations after its April 29 launch, the agency has unveiled its most comprehensive satellite-derived forest carbon dataset yet. Covering the years 2007 to 2022, the release marks a major advancement in global forest biomass monitoring.

This extensive dataset, part of ESA's Climate Change Initiative, compiles information from multiple Earth-observing missions and will soon integrate data from the Biomass satellite itself. It provides high-resolution measurements of above-ground woody biomass-trunks and branches-from 100 meters to 50 kilometers, enabling detailed insight into forest carbon stock trends over time.

Designed to support global climate efforts, the data is crucial for carbon modeling, sustainable forest management, and meeting the reporting requirements of the UNFCCC Paris Agreement. ESA's Frank Martin Seifert emphasized the significance of version 6 of the dataset, calling it a milestone for climate science that offers globally consistent and timely biomass estimates.

Forests serve as critical carbon reservoirs, and shifts in biomass due to growth, deforestation, or fire can drastically influence atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The dataset sources include ESA's Envisat, Copernicus Sentinel-1, Japan's ALOS PALSAR, and NASA's ICESat and GEDI missions.

Collaborations, particularly with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, have led to improvements in data accuracy and corrections for previously underreported high-biomass areas. Enhancements in biomass retrieval algorithms now ensure more reliable estimates across global forest biomes, though accuracy diminishes beyond 400 tonnes per hectare.

Richard Lucas of Aberystwyth University, leading ESA's biomass project, highlighted the improved accuracy in high-density forests. Still, he noted difficulties in detecting biomass over 400 tonnes per hectare due to radar limitations.

Maurizio Santoro from Gamma Remote Sensing added that global validation confirms the improved quality of the new maps, though further advancements will come from incorporating more satellite data.

ESA's Biomass satellite aims to address these gaps. With its pioneering P-band radar, capable of penetrating dense forest canopies, it is poised to refine forest carbon measurements, particularly in tropical ecosystems like the Amazon, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Research Report:ESA Climate Change Initiative Biomass