Use case: forestry
Monitoring forest health and deforestation
Satellite data detects forest damage and deforestation by comparing images of the same forest over time. Optical satellites such as Sentinel-2 show when the canopy changes or disappears, and radar satellites see through clouds and register clearings in the tropics. The cause of the damage, and the state of single trees, still need a check on the ground.
- Reference
- UC-27
- Technologies
- Challenge
- Land use and vegetation
- Updated
- Published by
- LETO SPACE
01Technology
How it works
Forests change slowly in some places and suddenly in others. Satellites observe the same stands at regular intervals, so both kinds of change become visible.
Because forests are large and often remote, EUSPA describes Earth observation and satellite positioning as increasingly important tools for forestry. Earth observation assesses forest health from a distance and detects illegal logging and deforestation Source: EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 26 May 2026EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 126 May 2026Open source (opens euspa.europa.eu). Three kinds of signal matter:
Forest extent and density
The Copernicus Land Monitoring Service maps tree cover density for Europe every year at 10 m, from Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data Source: Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, accessed 6 October 2026Copernicus Land Monitoring ServiceTree Cover Density 2018-present (raster 10 m), Europe, yearlyaccessed 6 October 2026Open source (opens land.copernicus.eu). Comparing years shows where forest cover has thinned or gone.
Forest health
Infested trees change the way they reflect light. A study of spruce forests in the Czech Republic found that seasonal changes of Sentinel-2 vegetation indices, especially those built on shortwave infrared bands, can detect bark beetle infestation at the early green-attack stage Source: IJAEOG, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, August 2021International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and GeoinformationEarly detection of bark beetle infestation in Norway spruce forests of Central Europe using Sentinel-2 (Bárta, Lukeš and Homolová, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation 100, 102335)August 2021Open source (opens doi.org).
Clearings and disturbance
Radar signals pass through clouds. In the cloud-covered tropics, Sentinel-1 therefore provides gap-free observations every 6 to 12 days at 10 m, which allows near real-time alerts for small clearings such as selective logging Source: ERL, Environmental Research Letters, 19 January 2021Environmental Research LettersForest disturbance alerts for the Congo Basin using Sentinel-1 (Reiche et al., Environmental Research Letters 16, 024005)19 January 2021Open source (opens doi.org).
- L1 Base mapTerrain, river and parcels
- L2 ForestWoodland on the upper slopes
- L3 Forest changeFelled or damaged since the last image
On the ground, satellite positioning guides forest machines and drones and locates sensors fitted to trees Source: EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 26 May 2026EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 126 May 2026Open source (opens euspa.europa.eu).
02Data
Which data and satellites
| Question | Data | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Where is forest, and how dense is it? | Yearly tree cover density | Copernicus Tree Cover Density, 10 m |
| Are stands under stress? | Optical time series and vegetation indices | Copernicus Sentinel-2 |
| Where has forest been cleared, also under cloud? | Radar time series | Copernicus Sentinel-1 |
| How do forests change, and what is their role in the carbon cycle? | P-band radar | ESA Biomass mission |
The ESA Biomass mission, launched on 29 April 2025, carries the first P-band radar in space. It measures the state of the world's forests and how they change, to improve knowledge of their role in the carbon cycle Source: European Space Agency (ESA), accessed 6 October 2026European Space Agency (ESA)Biomass (mission page)accessed 6 October 2026Open source (opens esa.int).
Deforestation-free supply chains. The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) defines products as deforestation-free when the commodities were produced on land that was not deforested after 31 December 2020. It requires the geolocation of the plots of land, and it names Earth observation data, such as from Copernicus, among the means for checks Source: European Union, EUR-Lex, 9 June 2023European Union, EUR-LexRegulation (EU) 2023/1115 of 31 May 2023 on the making available on the Union market and the export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation (EUDR)9 June 2023Open source (opens eur-lex.europa.eu). An amendment of December 2025 applies the main obligations from 30 December 2026, and from 30 June 2027 for micro and small operators established by 31 December 2024. Micro and small primary operators may give the postal address of the plots instead of their geolocation, provided the address clearly corresponds to their location Source: European Union, EUR-Lex, 19 December 2025European Union, EUR-LexRegulation (EU) 2025/2650 of 19 December 2025 amending Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 as regards certain obligations of operators and traders19 December 2025Open source (opens eur-lex.europa.eu). EUSPA describes how authorities can use GNSS coordinates of plots together with deforestation analysis from Earth observation Source: EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 2024EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)EUSPA EO and GNSS Market Report, Issue 2, 20242024Open source (opens euspa.europa.eu). This page describes the technology; it is not advice on the regulation.
03Deliverables
What you get
- Forest cover and density maps for your area, year by year Source: Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, accessed 6 October 2026Copernicus Land Monitoring ServiceTree Cover Density 2018-present (raster 10 m), Europe, yearlyaccessed 6 October 2026Open source (opens land.copernicus.eu).
- Alerts for new clearings or disturbance, with location and date, also in regions with frequent cloud Source: ERL, Environmental Research Letters, 19 January 2021Environmental Research LettersForest disturbance alerts for the Congo Basin using Sentinel-1 (Reiche et al., Environmental Research Letters 16, 024005)19 January 2021Open source (opens doi.org).
- Maps of stands with stress signals, so that forest management can act early and slow an outbreak Source: IJAEOG, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, August 2021International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and GeoinformationEarly detection of bark beetle infestation in Norway spruce forests of Central Europe using Sentinel-2 (Bárta, Lukeš and Homolová, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation 100, 102335)August 2021Open source (opens doi.org).
- Indications of possible illegal logging and deforestation in large or remote forests, to direct checks on the ground Source: EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 26 May 2026EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 126 May 2026Open source (opens euspa.europa.eu).
04Limits
Limits
Limit 01
Detail ends at the forest stand
Sentinel-2 observes at the scale of forest stands and does not allow the detection of individual trees Source: IJAEOG, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, August 2021International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and GeoinformationEarly detection of bark beetle infestation in Norway spruce forests of Central Europe using Sentinel-2 (Bárta, Lukeš and Homolová, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation 100, 102335)August 2021Open source (opens doi.org).
Limit 02
Small clearings
The Sentinel-1 alert system for the Congo Basin reliably detects disturbances of 0.2 ha or more; smaller events are not included Source: ERL, Environmental Research Letters, 19 January 2021Environmental Research LettersForest disturbance alerts for the Congo Basin using Sentinel-1 (Reiche et al., Environmental Research Letters 16, 024005)19 January 2021Open source (opens doi.org). Other systems have their own minimum size, so ask for it.
Limit 03
Damage is confirmed on site
In the bark beetle study, the early-detection method reached 78% overall accuracy against field observations Source: IJAEOG, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, August 2021International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and GeoinformationEarly detection of bark beetle infestation in Norway spruce forests of Central Europe using Sentinel-2 (Bárta, Lukeš and Homolová, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation 100, 102335)August 2021Open source (opens doi.org). A satellite signal tells foresters where to look; the cause and the extent of the damage are confirmed on site.
05Next steps
How we help
Forest monitoring services range from free Copernicus layers and openly published alerts Source: ERL, Environmental Research Letters, 19 January 2021Environmental Research LettersForest disturbance alerts for the Congo Basin using Sentinel-1 (Reiche et al., Environmental Research Letters 16, 024005)19 January 2021Open source (opens doi.org) to dedicated services. Which one fits depends on your area, the size of change you need to see and how quickly you need to know. In a strategy engagement we define these needs with you, and we then write the requirements for choosing a provider.
More on requirements and procurement
To see who offers such services, use Spacegraph, our discovery platform. Its marketplace has a use-case category for forestry management.
06Use cases
Related use cases
- Monitoring habitats and water qualityLand cover in protected sites and the state of lakes.
- Monitoring the ESG impact of investment portfoliosEnvironmental indicators for assets in a portfolio.
- Analysing satellite imagery with AIHow models find clearings and changes across large areas.
Frequently asked questions
Q1Which satellite data shows forest damage, and how often is it updated?
For Europe, the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service publishes a yearly tree cover density layer at 10 m, derived from Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 Source: Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, accessed 6 October 2026Copernicus Land Monitoring ServiceTree Cover Density 2018-present (raster 10 m), Europe, yearlyaccessed 6 October 2026Open source (opens land.copernicus.eu). For damage during the season, Sentinel-2 passes over the same place every five days with two satellites Source: European Space Agency (ESA), SentiWiki, accessed 6 October 2026European Space Agency (ESA), SentiWikiSentinel-2 missionaccessed 6 October 2026Open source (opens sentiwiki.copernicus.eu). In the cloud-covered tropics, Sentinel-1 radar provides gap-free observations every 6 to 12 days Source: ERL, Environmental Research Letters, 19 January 2021Environmental Research LettersForest disturbance alerts for the Congo Basin using Sentinel-1 (Reiche et al., Environmental Research Letters 16, 024005)19 January 2021Open source (opens doi.org).
Q2Can satellites detect bark beetle infestation early?
A 2021 study by Bárta, Lukeš and Homolová shows that they can give an early signal at the level of forest stands. In spruce monocultures in the Czech Republic, it used Sentinel-2 time series, especially indices from the shortwave infrared, to separate healthy stands from stands in the early green-attack stage, with 78% overall accuracy against field observations. Sentinel-2 does not allow the detection of individual trees Source: IJAEOG, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, August 2021International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and GeoinformationEarly detection of bark beetle infestation in Norway spruce forests of Central Europe using Sentinel-2 (Bárta, Lukeš and Homolová, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation 100, 102335)August 2021Open source (opens doi.org).
Q3How do we start a pilot for forest monitoring?
Start with one area and one question, for example which stands to inspect first after a dry summer, or whether clearings appear in a supply region. Then check which forest inventory and boundary data you already hold.
Sources (9)
- EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 1 (opens euspa.europa.eu)
- EUSPA EO and GNSS Market Report, Issue 2, 2024 (opens euspa.europa.eu)
- Tree Cover Density 2018-present (raster 10 m), Europe, yearly (opens land.copernicus.eu)
- Sentinel-2 mission (opens sentiwiki.copernicus.eu)
- Early detection of bark beetle infestation in Norway spruce forests of Central Europe using Sentinel-2 (Bárta, Lukeš and Homolová, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation 100, 102335) (opens doi.org)
- Forest disturbance alerts for the Congo Basin using Sentinel-1 (Reiche et al., Environmental Research Letters 16, 024005) (opens doi.org)
- Biomass (mission page) (opens esa.int)
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of 31 May 2023 on the making available on the Union market and the export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation (EUDR) (opens eur-lex.europa.eu)
- Regulation (EU) 2025/2650 of 19 December 2025 amending Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 as regards certain obligations of operators and traders (opens eur-lex.europa.eu)
Contact
Which forest areas do you need to watch for damage or clearing, and how quickly must you react?
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