Evaluating Collect Earth as a tool to estimate activity data for Costa Rica’s REDD+ program

Authors

  • David Romero-Badilla Consultor independiente; Cartago, Costa Rica
  • Edgar Ortiz-Malavasi Escuela de Ingeniería Forestal, Tecnológico de Costa Rica
  • German Obando-Vargas Consultor independiente; Cartago, Costa Rica
  • Hector Arce-Benavides Secretaría REDD+, Fondo Nacional de Financiamiento Forestal
  • María Elena Herrera-Ugalde Secretaría REDD+, Fondo Nacional de Financiamiento Forestal
  • Guisella Quirós-Ramírez Secretaría REDD+, Fondo Nacional de Financiamiento Forestal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18845/rfmk.v17i40.4904

Abstract

This study examines the capacity of the software Collect Earth to generate activity data as required by Costa Rica’s REDD+ program. Thereby, estimations of land use changes for the 2014-2015 period were made according to the Costa Rica’s REDD+ monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system. Land use data was obtained through multitemporal visual interpretation of sampling points using high resolution satellite imagery via Collect Earth. Estimations of areas of change were made in accordance with general REDD+ land use change categories and REDD+ CR activity classes. Evaluation of two different types of stratifications were also made. The study demonstrates that it is possible to estimate activity data following the REDD+ CR MRV system using Collect Earth. However, it is necessary to intensify the sampling in areas of interest in order to reduce uncertainties, as well as to increase accessibility the high resolution imagery in Collect Earth to decrease the number of sample points without data.

 

Keywords: Multitemporal visual interpretation, high resolution satellite imagery, land use changes, deforestation, reference data

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Published

2019-12-20

How to Cite

[1]
D. Romero-Badilla, E. Ortiz-Malavasi, G. Obando-Vargas, H. Arce-Benavides, M. E. Herrera-Ugalde, and G. Quirós-Ramírez, “Evaluating Collect Earth as a tool to estimate activity data for Costa Rica’s REDD+ program”, RFMK, vol. 17, no. 40, Dec. 2019.

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 40 (2020): Enero- Junio 2020

Section

Artículos

License

Revista Forestal Mesoamericana Kurú is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

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