What this paper found
An evaluation of NASA GEDI spaceborne lidar for quantifying forest structure across degradation gradients in Amazonian rainforests. The study assessed how well GEDI captures canopy height and biomass variation in forests at different stages of degradation.
How this informs belian.earth’s work
Spaceborne LiDAR is one of the inputs belian.earth uses for biomass and structural assessment at scale. This work, which Hugh co-authored, evaluates how GEDI performs across forest degradation gradients, directly relevant to digital MRV systems for forest carbon credits.
Frequently asked questions
Can GEDI spaceborne lidar quantify forest degradation?
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An evaluation of NASA GEDI in Amazonian rainforests assessed how well spaceborne lidar captures canopy height and biomass variation across forests at different stages of degradation. The study found that GEDI can detect structural differences along degradation gradients, supporting its use in digital MRV systems that monitor forest carbon projects at scale.
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Citation
Doyle, E.L. et al. (2025). Evaluating GEDI for quantifying forest structure across a gradient of degradation in Amazonian rainforests. Environmental Research Letters. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/adc752