Understanding large-scale plant health with Satellite Data

Harwell, Oxfordshire, 5th July, 2017. By developing pioneering data analysis techniques and machine learning algorithms, Rezatec is now able to produce powerful analytical insights for owners and managers of the world’s forests.

Rezatec analyses earth observation data and imagery to provide scalable, accurate and regularly updated forest landscape intelligence. Rezatec provides a level of insight into forest assets that is not achievable or cost effective using other land surveying techniques such as Lidar and ground-based data gathering.

In one of the first projects of its kind, Rezatec is working with DEFRA and UK Space Agency to establish how common threats to forests can be detected and addressed to mitigate risk to valuable tree stock.

Through the Space Applications for Precision Plant Health Information, Response & Evaluation project, funded by the UK Space Agency’s Space for Smarter Government Programme (SSGP), Rezatec successfully engaged with Defra’s Plant Health team to generate a common understanding of how Earth Observation technology can be used to address the challenges posed by tree pests and diseases.

“Rezatec’s ability to map ash and oak at remarkable high-levels of accuracy has been an outstanding achievement which has not only raised awareness of potential future applications of EO within Defra but which could also potentially revolutionise Defra’s response to quarantine pests and diseases in the wider environment.” Spokesperson from Defra Plant Health

Rezatec is also working closely with Forestry Corporation New South Wales (FCNSW) in Australia to enrich their existing forestry datasets with derived tree type mapping to help them comprehensively understand their forested land assets and support strategic decision making.

“Forestry Corporation NSW manages 2.2 million hectares of State forest across New South Wales. Remotely sensed data is an important forest management tool and combining this with accurately located plot information provides an opportunity to add value to this data. Given the complexity of eucalypt forest this is a difficult task. But FCNSW is watching, with interest, the modelling approach being trialled by Rezatec, and has provided plot data to assist with the model development phase, which is an important first step in getting cost effective, current and consistent information about the forest estate", stated Mike Sutton, Manager, Forest Information and Planning at FCNSW.

Delivered via a subscription-based, interactive and dynamically updated online portal, Rezatec’s geospatial forestry intelligence products include Species Mapping, Mensuration, Health, Disturbance, Carbon & Biomass Stock & Flux, Windblow and Fire & Habitat Connectivity.