CanoClass: Creation of an open framework for tree canopy monitoring
Forested areas play an integral role in the maintenance of both local and global environments. They are the bulk of Earth’s carbon sequestration for mitigating anthropogenic processes, provide natural erosion and runoff control for flooding events which have been growing in frequency because of climate change, and can offer respite for urban heat islands. The effective creation of canopy data is of utmost importance to analyze the aforementioned processes in addition to forest patterns such as disturbance, mortality, and the societal and economic effects forests can provide. Because of the importance of forests and the cycles they are apart of, it is imperative that systems are created that enable the effective monitoring of forest canopy. In particular, canopy classification using remotely sensed data plays an essential role in monitoring tree canopy on a large scale. As remote sensing technologies advance, the quality and resolution of satellite imagery have significantly improved.