We could soon be able to track changes in Australia’s forests in near-real time – using satellites
Collecting data from sensors in remote woodlands has long required arduous treks. What if sensors could transmit data in real time?
Australia's forests and woodlands play a crucial role in storing carbon, supporting biodiversity, regulating water supplies and buffering the impacts of climate change. However, there is limited knowledge about how these ecosystems are changing over time. Currently, there is no coherent, long-term national monitoring network to track the health of forests across the country.
Understanding which ecosystems are most at risk and which have resilience is vital in light of increasing droughts, heatwaves and bushfires due to climate change. Researchers at Western Sydney University and UNSW, with support from OQ Technology and the NSW Smart Sensing Network, are upgrading thousands of existing solar-powered sensors to transmit data in near real-time via low-Earth orbit satellites.
This will enable continuous monitoring of remote areas, which previously relied on manual data collection. The data will be particularly valuable after extreme events such as droughts, heatwaves and bushfires, allowing for the assessment of ecosystem responses and recovery. Satellites will complement ground measurements, providing a practical solution to overcome the challenges posed by the vast and sparsely populated country.
The project aims to expand the network of monitoring plots from wet sclerophyll forests and rainforests to arid woodlands across NSW, with sensors measuring soil moisture, weather conditions, stem growth and plant water stress. This will generate valuable datasets to improve forecasts of future ecosystem risks and inform better decision-making in the face of climate change.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
