Monitoring of Indonesia Tropical Rainforests and Land Cover Change Using Hybrid Approach of Time Series Landsat Data

Abstract

Monitoring of the forests of Indonesia is performed by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) in collaboration with the Indonesian Space Agency (LAPAN). The MoEF mapping method entails the visual interpretation of Landsat, with national-scale map products made from 1990 onward. As part of the development of a national carbon accounting system, LAPAN developed a method for processing national-scale mosaics, which were used to prototype forest loss algorithms. The mosaics are now used as the primary reference for the MoEF map updates. We assessed the accuracy of the MoEF time-series maps of forest cover and found a high accuracy for tracking primary and secondary forest loss. However, improving the efficiency and timely delivery of the annual update is now the primary focus of the MoEF/LAPAN collaboration. A new spectral product that highlights areas of likely land change based on a spectral index and forest loss indication map are now used to help target analysts efforts in updating the annual map. This review of the national Indonesia forest monitoring system highlights 1) the strategic collaboration by operational and research agencies, 2) the desire to maintain a consistent methodological framework, 3) and the recent improvements in product latency and accuracy.