TY - JOUR
T1 - Sample-based estimation of tree cover change in haiti using aerial photography
T2 - Substantial increase in tree cover between 2002 and 2010
AU - Rodrigues-Eklund, Gabriela
AU - Hansen, Matthew C.
AU - Tyukavina, Alexandra
AU - Stehman, Stephen V.
AU - Hubacek, Klaus
AU - Baiocchi, Giovanni
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding: This study was supported by a seed grant from the Program for Society and the Environ‐ ment at the University of Maryland (to G.R.E), and by the International Tropical Timber Organiza‐ tion grant 020/15S (to G.R.E). The sponsors had no role in the design, execution, interpretation, or writing of the study.
Funding Information:
This study was supported by a seed grant from the Program for Society and the Environment at the University of Maryland (to G.R.E), and by the International Tropical Timber Organization grant 020/15S (to G.R.E). The sponsors had no role in the design, execution, interpretation, or writing of the study.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2021/9
Y1 - 2021/9
N2 - Recent studies have used high resolution imagery to estimate tree cover and changes in natural forest cover in Haiti. However, there is still no rigorous quantification of tree cover change accounting for planted or managed trees, which are very important in Haiti’s farming systems. We estimated net tree cover change, gross loss, and gross gain in Haiti between 2002 and 2010 from a stratified random sample of 400 pixels with a systematic sub-sample of 25 points. Using 30 cm and 1 m resolution images, we classified land cover at each point, with any point touching a woody plant higher than 5 m classified as tree crown. We found a net increase in tree crown cover equiva-lent to 5.0 ± 2.3% (95% confidence interval) of Haiti’s land area. Gross gains and losses amounted to 9.0 ± 2.1% and 4.0 ± 1.3% of the territory, respectively. These results challenge, for the first time with empirical evidence, the predominant narrative that portrays Haiti as experiencing ongoing forest or tree cover loss. The net gain in tree cover quantified here represents a 35% increase from 2002 to 2010. Further research is needed to determine the drivers of this substantial net gain in tree cover at the national scale.
AB - Recent studies have used high resolution imagery to estimate tree cover and changes in natural forest cover in Haiti. However, there is still no rigorous quantification of tree cover change accounting for planted or managed trees, which are very important in Haiti’s farming systems. We estimated net tree cover change, gross loss, and gross gain in Haiti between 2002 and 2010 from a stratified random sample of 400 pixels with a systematic sub-sample of 25 points. Using 30 cm and 1 m resolution images, we classified land cover at each point, with any point touching a woody plant higher than 5 m classified as tree crown. We found a net increase in tree crown cover equiva-lent to 5.0 ± 2.3% (95% confidence interval) of Haiti’s land area. Gross gains and losses amounted to 9.0 ± 2.1% and 4.0 ± 1.3% of the territory, respectively. These results challenge, for the first time with empirical evidence, the predominant narrative that portrays Haiti as experiencing ongoing forest or tree cover loss. The net gain in tree cover quantified here represents a 35% increase from 2002 to 2010. Further research is needed to determine the drivers of this substantial net gain in tree cover at the national scale.
KW - Deforestation
KW - Forest cover
KW - Haiti
KW - Land cover and land use change
KW - Tree cover
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85115167433&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/f12091243
DO - 10.3390/f12091243
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85115167433
SN - 1999-4907
VL - 12
JO - Forests
JF - Forests
IS - 9
M1 - 1243
ER -