VOD4Forest
Forests are vital to life on Earth, yet many of their hidden dynamics remain invisible to the human eye. At VOD4Forest, we use innovative satellite signals to uncover how forests grow, store carbon, and respond to stress
Our special focus is on vegetation optical depth (VOD)—a unique microwave signal that penetrates the canopy and captures information about both leafy and woody parts of vegetation. Unlike traditional 'green' measurements that mainly track surface leaves, VOD provides insights into forest structure, biomass, and water content, giving us a deeper view of ecosystem health and resilience. Combining different sensors, we can measure this VOD at different spatial scales, from the canopies above our head to the forests stretching over the whole globe. By combining VOD with other emerging remote sensing tools—such as thermal emissions and solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence—we aim to build a richer, more complete picture of forests in a changing climate, promoting a management leading to resilient and future-proof forests.
