GloF-DAS map of Papua New Guinea showing forest disturbance for the first quarter of 2015
New NASA data shows a jump in forest loss in Madang Province during the first three months of 2015.
NASA’s Quarterly Indicator of Cover Change (QUICC), a MODIS satellite-based product that underpins Mongabay’s Global Forest Disturbance Alert System (GloF-DAS), detected a significant increase in forest disturbance in Madang Province between January 1 and March 31, 2015. It’s presently unclear why the forest loss occurred.
GloF-DAS relies on NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor to detect changes in forest greenness cover relative to the year-earlier period. It registers change in all forest and woodland areas that have lost at least 40 percent of their green vegetation cover over the past year. Seasonal variation is generally mitigated through the product’s quarterly baseline.
The tool can help highlight areas where deforestation and forest degradation is occurring on a quarterly basis, potentially providing insight to authorities, policymakers, civil society, local communities, and academics.
GloF-DAS was developed in a partnership between NASA Ames Research Center, Cal State Monterey Bay, and Mongabay.com.
