Empowering foresters with up-to-date high-resolution satellite imagery over their forests from Planet SkySat 0.5m GSD flexible tasking and base map products. It is now even easier to update your ESRI ArcGIS & GeoMaster Forest Information System in our cloud services simply and easily.

You will find that SkySat flexible tasking will replace your traditional annual aerial orthophoto capture with high-quality imagery from space. Combined with the flexibility to task-specific areas of interest, updating your forestry base maps with the latest information at a far more cost-effective solution has never been easier.   The Interpine team is a Planet Partner, so talk to our team to find out more and get your Forest Information Systems up to date, and empower your team to make better decisions with updated information.

We often get asked how the different satellite systems compare, so we have extracted a range of examples at different stages of the forest life cycle using Planet SkySat high-resolution satellite imagery.  All of these are New Zealand examples (make sure you click on the images to get a better look at them close up).

Recent Ground Based Roadline Harvesting – Radiata Pine Plantations
The two images below show forestry operations working on road line harvest operations and road building/engineering prior to cable harvesting.  The second image is zoomed in to view the harvest operation in the top left of the image, showing log stacks and machinery.  This also serves well for updating GIS road and track information for refining harvest plans.

Planet SkySat Roadline Harvesting Operations

Comparison of Planet SkySat High Resolution Tasking (~0.5m GSD) and Planet Daily Monitoring (~3-4m GSD) – Radiata Pine Forest Harvesting Operations
For those using Planet’s Daily Monitoring services, this being from their cubesat constellation of sateliites, this comparison of a roadline harvesting operation shows how the high resolution tasking imagery product from Planet’s SkySat constellation is suitable for final remapping prior to planting / establishment operations as a means of final appraisel of the forest area.

Planet SkySat Roadline Harvesting Operations Daily vs SkySat

Mature Forest Remapping Prior to Pre-harvest Inventory – Radiata Pine Plantations
Prior to mid rotation or pre-harvest forest inventory, remapping is required to refine any changes in the net stocked area of the plantation.  Here is an example of a late age Radiata Pine forest from the Planet SkySat Tasking.

Planet SkySat Mature Forest Remapping 3

Early Establishment Crop Performance and Survival Assessment – Radiata Pine Plantations
Crop performance and survival is key to value retention for the rotation of plantation.   Here is a couple examples of post planting / establishment areas in there first couple of years showing the quality of the ~0.5m GSD for updated mapping for crop survival, planning blanking operations or crop performance inspections.

Planet SkySat Young Pine Plantations

Planet SkySat Recent Survival Planting

Early Rotation Remapping – Radiata Pine Plantations
Updating the net stocked area of plantations around age 3-5 prior to silvicultural activities.  This image shows a plantation using SkySat imagery.  Of note is the cloud present in the imagery.   The target cloud-free specification for tasking is 15% for tasking.  Tasking capture is deemed complete when imagery that meets these cloud cover specifications.  Cloud cover specifications are also available as <5% and <10% cloud cover (added cost).

Environmental Monitoring – Land Erosion and Slips – Radiata Pine Plantations
Reduction in the net stocked area and environmental monitoring of landslides and their impact on the plantation forest area.  Often Planet Daily Monitoring can be used as a peek at any change or concern, be it a windthrow event, land slip, or fire event.  From here you can task capture of a high resolution image across this point or area of interest.  Shown on the left is the quality as captured through the Planet Daily Monitoring imagery product.

Planet SkySat Land Erosion Monitoring - Dove vs SkySat

Planet SkySat Land Erosion Monitoring Slips

Waste Thinning Operations – Radiata Pine Plantations
A recent waste thinning operation as viewed by SkySat capture from a tasking.

Planet SkySat Thin to Waste Operations

Production Thinning Operations – Radiata Pine Plantations
This image is from a recent production thin stand.

Planet SkySat Recent Production Thinning

SkySat imagery is 4-band with the NIR (Near Infrared) Band – Pinus Radiata Example
Example of use of NIR band within the SkySat imagery for the detection of dead or dying trees.

Planet SkySat - NIR Example

Post Wind Event Mapping – Radiata Pine Plantations
Responding to storm events is a key part of forest management.  The use of Planet Daily Monitoring allowing our clients to inspect (quickly peek) for possible damage and then task high-resolution capture using the SkySat satellites.  This allows a simple and effective response tool to manage the effective recovery of value from the forest.

Forest Fire Management – Radiata Pine Plantations
During the management of a forest fire event, the Incident Management Team and deployed resources to the fire rely on timely and up-to-date information. Using Planet Monitoring, daily satellite passes allow for regular peeks of the fire progression and also updated information on fire control lines as they are established.  This information can be quickly passed onto resources through incident mapping that is up to date and current, meaning resources can better stay safe and be more effective at fire fighting activities.  With SkySat Tasking high-resolution imagery allows for the next steps in post-fire management and recovery.

Planet SkySat Forest Fire

Planet SkySat Forest Fire Example 2

Wilding Spread of Exotic Conifers
Management of exotic conifers spread from plantation forests onto the neighboring property is a key environmental control in which forest managers need to monitor and proactively manage.

Planet SkySat Wilding Spread Management