Drivers of biomass change in Europe: visual interpretation of a random sample

ESA CCI Biomass maps v.5 were used to identify drivers of biomass change between 2010 and 2020. Sample preparation involved the following steps:

Generated a random sample across Europe where CCI Biomass reported values.

Reduced sample size in Turkey and Ukraine by a factor of 10.

Reduced sample size in areas with small changes (±25 t/ha) by a factor of 20.

Reduced sample size in areas with "Improbable change" Quality Flag by a factor of 20.

This resulted in 4,702 locations classified in Geo-Wiki.org using high-resolution imagery into the following categories:

No changes, remains forest

No changes, remains non-forest

Not clear if any changes happend

Gain: reforestation

Gain: afforestation

Gain: forest growth

Gain: tree crops/agroforestry

Gain: urban trees

Loss: cropland

Loss: tree/shrub crops

Loss: roads/trails/buildings

Loss: mining and crude oil extraction

Loss: forest management

Loss: wildfire

Loss: insects and diseases

Loss: windthrow

Loss: other natural disturbances

Not sure about drivers