LBA-ECO LC-13: Canopy Damage and Recovery from Logging in the Amazon

A 450-km^2 study in the eastern Amazon combined field measurements and Landsat ETM+ satellite imagery to quantify forest canopy damage from selective logging. Reduced-impact logging caused consistently less canopy damage than conventional methods, with half of the canopy openings closing within one year of regrowth. This is the first regional-scale study to integrate field data, satellite observations, and spectral mixture models to track canopy recovery up to 3.5 years post-harvest.

Use Cases

• Comparing the environmental impact of reduced-impact logging versus conventional logging practices based on canopy gap fraction measurements.
• Modeling post-harvest forest canopy recovery over time using multitemporal sequences of 0.5-3.5 years.
• Mapping landscape-level canopy damage in specific strata like log decks, roads, skids, and tree falls using subpixel spectral mixture analysis.
• Calibrating satellite-derived forest canopy cover fractions with ground-based field measurements.

Strengths

• Integrates detailed field studies with satellite imagery analysis across a 450-km^2 regional scale.
• Provides multitemporal data tracking canopy damage and recovery for up to 3.5 years post-harvest.
• Uses a spectral mixture model with Monte Carlo analysis for high spatial resolution (subpixel) estimates of canopy cover.

Limitations

• Specific column names and dataset size (rows, file size) are not provided by any source.
• Conflicting last-updated dates exist between platforms (1998 vs. 2026), creating uncertainty about data currency.
• License is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without further details.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Combined field study of canopy gap fraction with spectral mixture analysis of Landsat ETM+ satellite imagery.

Time Range

1996, 1998 (from title), with field sequences covering 0.5-3.5 years post-harvest.

Freshness

2026-04-10 01:34:04.929634

Geography

Tapajos Forest, Para, Brazil (eastern Amazon).