Automation and Evaluation of Rapid Deforestation Assessments of Small Farms

The worlds forests are being cleared at an alarming rate to make room for agriculture. Consequently, agricultural companies and those that finance them are increasingly required to demonstrate that the farms that they do business with were not recently deforested. Current methods for assessing deforestation involve using experts to analyze satellite images but this process can be cost prohibitive for small farms. The objective of this project is to develop and assess the accuracy of a new method that completely automates this process without the need for experts. Developing and assessing this method is expected to benefit Taking Root, the partner organization, to demonstrate that the farms that it does business with were not recently deforested at a much lower cost.

Faculty Supervisor:

Gary Bull

Student:

Ignacio San Miguel

Partner:

Taking Root

Discipline:

Forestry

Sector:

Forestry

University:

Program: