OEMC project use case: World-reforestation monitor use case community conservation Campeche, Mexico

Description

Summary: This use case supports community-led conservation and restoration projects with globally consistent maps of three vegetation biophysical properties: effective leaf area index (LAIe), fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR), and fractional vegetation cover (FCOVER). Derived from Sentinel-2 imagery using a PROSAIL-based retrieval approach, the annual maps cover 2019–2025 at up to 20 m resolution. They represent near-peak greenness conditions and include uncertainty estimates to help users interpret vegetation change.

Stakeholder needs:

• Access consistent, high-resolution information for monitoring vegetation change within restoration sites.
• Assess recovery over time and communicate findings alongside local ecological knowledge.

Implemented resources:

• Annual LAIe, FAPAR, and FCOVER maps for 2019–2025, developed using radiative transfer simulations and evaluated against in-situ measurements. Downloadable global maps at 100 m and 1 km are available from the S2BIOPHYS data deposition; the full-resolution 20 m maps are available through Google Earth Engine.
• gee-biophys, a Python package for generating maps over user-defined areas and time periods. It implements both S2BIOPHYS and SL2P retrievals, including sub-annual composites.

Beyond restoration monitoring, the maps can support assessments of habitat heterogeneity, vegetation disturbance and recovery, and the effects of land management. This knowledge package brings together resources and documentation for accessing and exploring the data and applying them to new study areas. The methods and validation are described in the S2BIOPHYS preprint.

Recorded talks: (ordered chronologically)

• Global Trait-Based Vegetation Monitoring, Felix Specker, Open-Earth-Monitor Global Workshop 2024, Vienna.
• Restoration at scale: Evaluating the progress of global restoration efforts, Felix Specker, Open-Earth-Monitor Global Workshop 2025, Perugia.
• Data-Driven Insights for Restoration at Scale, Andrew Cottam (Restor.eco) and Felix Specker, Open-Earth-Monitor Science Webinar, 2025.

Knowledge Resources

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