Remote sensing of tropical forest biomass: The Malaysian experiences

Abstract

The role of forests as potential sinks of atmospheric carbon has been studied across varying scales. In 2017, Malaysia with a total of 52 % her land is covered by tropical forest is very important not only as a source of national revenues but also as environmental protection and conservation areas. In Malaysia attempts to estimate the Above-Ground Biomass (AGB) biomass density of different forest types have been made actively as an action to meet the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Remote sensing is a constantly evolving technology being regularly introduced where high-resolution space-borne and air-borne satellite data have provided an opportunity to better estimate and map AGB across different spatial and temporal scales. The quantification, mapping, and monitoring of biomass are now central issues due to the importance of biomass as a renewable energy source. However, the estimation of biomass is a challenging task, especially in areas with complex stands and varying environmental conditions. Remote sensing offers the technology to enable rapid assessment of biomass over large areas relatively quickly and at a low cost. This paper highlights a review of tropical forest biomass assessment techniques using remote sensing with special emphasis in Malaysia. The successful studies and key work that has been undertaken has been discussed.