Accurate Forest Inventories with Economy of Scale
GSI uses the power of supercomputing to remotely sense forest inventories over wide areas using time series analysis of satellite data. By analyzing many images over the course of a year, we’re able to determine species, size, and density with high confidence. Supercomputing also unlocks tremendous economies of scale–GSI can analyze millions of acres at once, efficiently.
Detect Species, Size, and Density for Less than LiDAR
Time series analysis examines the evolution of each pixel in a series of photographs over the course of a year. Rather than looking at just one static image, the way a pixel changes in a growing season tells quite a bit about what’s growing within it. As a result, we’re able to make determinations about species, size, and density–similar information compared to a LiDAR survey, but at a fraction of the cost because we’re using satellite data instead of manned aircraft.
Design More Efficient Cruises and Use Existing Data
Every project that GSI works on involves a local forester and a forest biometrician. We are able to design ground surveys that are aided by remote sensing, providing a wall-to-wall inventory and reducing the number of ground plots for data collection to save on overall time and cost.
Bespoke Approach: Operational Forest Inventories for Timber and Carbon
Our bespoke approach is an entirely custom project, where we take the time to understand your short- and long-term goals and develop a project aimed to meet them. Projects are centered around GSI’s core time series analysis approach, and can utilize many different types of data, including drone imagery, LiDAR, and existing ground plots. GSI’s bespoke approach can be tailored to produce an operational forest inventory for client requirements for time, cost, and resolution.
ForINT: Acquisition Due Diligence & Project Feasibility
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Turnaround in days
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Ground-calibrated to USFS FIA data
To assist with acquisition due diligence and project feasibility studies, ForINT provides landscape-level forestry insights using GSI’s time series analysis ground-calibrated to USFS FIA data. Results are provided within days, allowing users to make informed decisions on purchase bids or project engagement without costly and time-consuming field surveys, or where land access may not be feasible.
GSI’s Experts Help Navigate Remote Sensing Tradeoffs
Remote sensing analyses always pose tradeoffs in time, cost, and quality. You can always acquire more resolute data, incorporate different types of data, and continually spend money and resources. We help you navigate those tradeoffs so you’re empowered to make your own decisions about what’s best for you.
Other Environmental Insights Companies
Global Surface Intelligence
Ground-based methods are expensive, time-consuming, and don’t perform wall-to-wall analyses.
Elements may be overlooked as a result of applying averages across wide areas.
Difficult to scale across large areas, often requiring larger survey teams and more resources to achieve the same result.
Incorporates ground data and provides a wall-to-wall analysis
Ground-calibrated remote sensing analyses provide insights from real conditions and apply them to forest stratification, minimizing the risk of unexpected surprises.
Efficiently scales to cover vast areas quickly, saving time and money compared to traditional methods.
GSI By the Numbers
Greater than 100 Million
acres of forestry and agriculture land analyzed
240 Billion
Trees measured
4 of the Top 10
US Forest Managers by acreage are GSI customers
765 Billion pixels
shown in our maps
Frequently Asked Questions
How does GSI's technology work?
GSI utilizes supercomputing to perform a time series analysis on many images throughout the course of a growing year to accurately create forest stratifications based on species, size, and density. Based on the way each pixel changes, we’re able to provide similar information to LiDAR-based surveys with the addition of species information at a fraction of the cost.
How accurate are the insights provided by GSI?
GSI’s surveys and analyses can be designed to meet accuracy thresholds specified by clients. In a recent analysis of 700,000 acres of complex northern US hardwood forests, we achieved a 95% confidence level with ± 5% error per the results of an independent client survey after delivery.
How long does it take to receive survey results from GSI?
The time frame for receiving survey results can vary based on the size and complexity of the surveyed area and project specifications. For short-term needs like acquisition due diligence or project feasibility studies, GSI’s product ForINT (for Forest Intelligence) provides landscape-level insights in a matter of days. The stratification provided by ForINT can provide a basis for future, more in-depth analyses, creating efficiency in time and cost.
Sample Data Maps
Measuring the merchantable volume for trees.
Discovering and measuring changes in land use.
Measuring the merchantable volume for trees; Measuring the crop coverage, health, yield and provenance.
Measuring the merchantable volume for trees.