New satellite map of forests can yield carbon, climate information

New, precise maps of the northern hemisphere's biomass can improve understanding of the carbon cycle and predictions of Earth's future climate, scientists say. Created using satellite data, the maps measure forest biomass and how it varies, key elements for taking stock of forests and vegetation and their effects on carbon and climate, the European Space Agency said Wednesday. Since forests assist in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, such maps are important for understanding the global carbon cycle, it said. Northern forests store a third more carbon stocks per acre than tropical forests, making them one of the most significant carbon stores in the world, researchers said. Those forests span Russia, northern Europe, Canada and Alaska, with interrelated habitats of forests, lakes, wetlands, rivers and tundra, they said. The researchers combined some 70,000 radar images from ESA's Envisat satellite taken from October 2009 to February 2011 to create the highly detailed forest biomass maps. The ESA recently gave the go-ahead for a mission that will see a dedicated biomass satellite launched to provide even more accurate data on forest biomass.