A patch filling method for thematic map refinement: a case study on forest cover mapping in the Greater Mekong Subregion and Malaysia

Accurate forest cover mapping is essential for monitoring the status of forest extent in Southeast Asia. However, tropical areas frequently experience cloud cover, resulting in invalid or missing data in thematic maps. The initial 2005 and 2010 forest cover maps produced by the collaboration of the Greater Mekong Subregion and Malaysia (GMS+) economies contain unclassified pixels in the areas affected by cloud or cloud shadow. To enhance the usability and effectiveness of the 2005 and 2010 GMS+ forest cover maps for further analysis and applications, we present a novel method for accurately mapping forest cover in the presence of cloud cover. We employed a pixel-based algorithm to create clear view composites and automatically generated land cover training labels from the existing forest cover maps. We then reclassified the invalid areas and produced updated maps. The land cover types for all previously missing pixels have been successfully reclassified. The accuracy of this method was assessed at both the pixel and region level, with an overall accuracy of 94.2% at the forest/non-forest level and 86.6% at the finer classification level by pixel level assessment across all reclassified patches, and 93.2% at the forest/non-forest level and 89.9% at the finer level by region level for the selected site. There are 2.6% of forest and 0.7% of non-forest areas in the 2005 map, as well as 2.7% of forest and 0.6% of non-forest in the 2010 map have been reclassified from invalid pixels. This approach provides a framework for filling invalid areas in the existing thematic map toward improving its spatial continuity. The updated outputs provide more accurate and reliable information than the initial maps on the status of forest extent in the GMS+, which is critical for effective forest management and sustainable use in the region

Identifying Forest Degradation and Restoration Opportunities in the Lancang-Mekong Region: A Tool to Determine Criteria and Indicators

Forest restoration is increasingly becoming a priority at international and national levels. Identifying forest degradation, however, is challenging because its drivers are underlying and site-specific. Existing frameworks and principles for identifying forest degradation are useful at larger scales, however, a framework that includes iterative input from local knowledge-holders would be useful at smaller scales. Here, we present a new mechanism; a framework for developing criteria and indicators that enables an approach for the identification of forest degradation and opportunities for restoration in landscapes that is free from failures that are often inherent to project cycles. The Degradation and Restoration Assessment Mechanism (DReAM) uses an iterative process that is based on local expertise and established regional knowledge to inform what is forest degradation and how to monitor restoration. We tested the mechanism’s utility at several sites in the Lancang-Mekong Region (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam). The application of this mechanism rendered a suite of appropriate criteria and indicators for use in identifying degraded forests which can help inform detailed guidelines to develop rehabilitation approaches. The mechanism is designed to be utilized by any individual or group that is interested in degradation identification and/or rehabilitation assessment.Forestry, Faculty ofNon UBCReviewedFacultyResearche

A Comparison of Forestry Continuing Education Academic Degree Programs

Forestry professionals are expected to be well trained and skilled. This facilitates progress in multiple global efforts to ensure a synergistic contribution of forests and the forest sector to sustainability goals. In recent years, societal demands and expectations associated with forests and the forest sector have changed profoundly. Forests have traditionally been a key resource that contributes to people’s livelihoods; however, this has only been fully embraced among forest professionals within the past 30 years as one of the responsibilities of the sector’s role in society. Forests are the largest repository of carbon stocks and have been assigned a major role in global efforts related to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The changing role of the forest sector is resulting in changes in forestry higher education programs and curricula; however, these changes are occurring unevenly in different regions of the world. One major effort to ensure that forestry professionals have the requisite training and skills, and the ability to implement technical management, public administration, and knowledge creation, are post-graduate training and higher education programs for early career forestry professionals. These programs aim to update a professional’s knowledge and skills to adjust to the changing societal demands on forests, and to address deficiencies in professionals’ undergraduate education. This paper reviews and compares five programs that aim to update and improve knowledge and skills among forest professionals, with a special focus on the Asia Pacific region. After reviewing and comparing several programs, the paper reflects on trends and their possible implications.Forestry, Faculty ofNon UBCForest Resources Management, Department ofReviewedFacultyResearche