Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4094
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4094
16 Jan 2025
 | 16 Jan 2025

Assessing the effect of forest management on above-ground carbon stock by remote sensing

Sofie Van Winckel, Jonas Simons, Stef Lhermitte, and Bart Muys

Abstract. As the global community intensifies efforts to combat climate change, insights on the influence of management on forest carbon stocks and fluxes are becoming invaluable for establishing sustainable forest management practices. However, accurately and efficiently monitoring carbon stocks remains technologically challenging. In this study, we aim to 1) leverage the complementary strengths of optical, Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing technologies to improve overall accuracy and scalability in carbon stock estimation, and to 2) assess the effect of forest management on carbon stock by comparing unconfounded pairs of managed and unmanaged forests in the National Park Brabantse Wouden (Flanders, Belgium). Remote sensing data from Sentinel-2, Sentinel-1, and a canopy height product derived from the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation mission (GEDI) were used as predictors in a generalized additive model (GAM) to estimate carbon stock. The combination of all three remote sensing sources significantly improved model accuracy (R²=0.68, RMSE=56.35, MAE=50.07) compared to a model using only Sentinel-2 indices (R²=0.56, RMSE=99.44, MAE=91.40). While field assessment exhibited higher carbon stocks in unmanaged stands compared to managed ones, this difference was not detectable using a remote sensing model that incorporated Sentinel-2, Sentinel-1, and GEDI variables. Potential explanations for this discrepancy include signal saturation and the need for more training data.

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Journal article(s) based on this preprint

28 Aug 2025
Assessing the effect of forest management on above-ground carbon stock by remote sensing
Sofie Van Winckel, Jonas Simons, Stef Lhermitte, and Bart Muys
Biogeosciences, 22, 4291–4307, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-4291-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-4291-2025, 2025
Short summary
Sofie Van Winckel, Jonas Simons, Stef Lhermitte, and Bart Muys

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-4094', Anonymous Referee #1, 24 Jan 2025
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Sofie Van Winckel, 02 Apr 2025
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-4094', Anonymous Referee #2, 13 Mar 2025
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Sofie Van Winckel, 02 Apr 2025

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-4094', Anonymous Referee #1, 24 Jan 2025
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Sofie Van Winckel, 02 Apr 2025
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-4094', Anonymous Referee #2, 13 Mar 2025
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Sofie Van Winckel, 02 Apr 2025

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (14 Apr 2025) by Mirco Migliavacca
AR by Sofie Van Winckel on behalf of the Authors (19 May 2025)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (27 May 2025) by Mirco Migliavacca
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (03 Jun 2025)
ED: Publish subject to technical corrections (05 Jun 2025) by Mirco Migliavacca
AR by Sofie Van Winckel on behalf of the Authors (11 Jun 2025)  Author's response   Manuscript 

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

28 Aug 2025
Assessing the effect of forest management on above-ground carbon stock by remote sensing
Sofie Van Winckel, Jonas Simons, Stef Lhermitte, and Bart Muys
Biogeosciences, 22, 4291–4307, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-4291-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-4291-2025, 2025
Short summary
Sofie Van Winckel, Jonas Simons, Stef Lhermitte, and Bart Muys
Sofie Van Winckel, Jonas Simons, Stef Lhermitte, and Bart Muys

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Short summary
Insights on management's impact on forest carbon stocks are crucial for sustainable forest management practices. However, accurately monitoring carbon stocks remains a technological challenge. This study estimates above-ground carbon stock in managed and unmanaged forests using passive optical, SAR, and LiDAR remote sensing data. Results show promising potential in using multiple remote sensing predictors and publicly available high-resolution data for mapping forest carbon stocks.
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