Imagine being able to monitor changes to biodiversity and carbon storage in near-real time.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) foresters will soon be able to use data to make informed decisions about sustainable forest management.
Launched yesterday, CollectiveCrunch’s ‘Linda Planet’ is a cutting-edge instrument assisting forest experts in evaluating the health of forests.
This tool observes and records shifts in forest biodiversity and carbon sequestration instantly, allowing foresters to oversee ecosystems more proficiently and resourcefully.
According to Rolf Schmitz, co-founder of CollectiveCrunch:
“Our goal is to change the world’s understanding of forests by providing the most accurate, scalable and timely forest analytics possible.”
“Through solutions like Linda Planet, we can enable sustainable forestry, assist in the mitigation of carbon losses, and bring transparency to forest carbon markets to spearhead the fight against climate change.”
Carbon reporting and the fight against climate change
The need for greater transparency in carbon market reporting is driving the need for data-driven forest carbon management.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), sustainable forest management can play an important role in increasing carbon stocks – with FSC and PEFC certification now requiring forest carbon monitoring as part of their certification standards.
Linda Planet offers a scientific and data-based solution to the uncertainty and subjectivity often found in forest carbon assessments!
This is achieved through closely monitoring changes and potential damages in near real-time, as well as aiding in the prediction of forest carbon stock growth and decline.
By closely monitoring alterations and potential harm, Linda Planet aids in minimising the loss of forest carbon value and supports the projection of forest carbon stock fluctuations.
The tool ensures the accountability of carbon assets behind an offset and provides the transparency necessary for credible carbon development through the AI backbone of the Linda platform.
Tracking biodiversity and resilience of forests
The technology will, for the first time, uncover the true scale of biodiversity loss. According to Rolf Schmitz:
“The dramatic loss of biodiversity in the forestry ecosystem is a serious global challenge. Linda Planet provides continuous visibility into the forest status and timely assessment of disturbances.”
But it’s not just about loss of biodiversity but also increased resilience of forests.
Schmitz explains that resilient forests better withstand natural disturbances and require less time for recovery, reducing the need for clearing trees.
Biodiverse forests provide habitats for a wide range of species and ensure that ecosystems remain intact.
The ability to track changes in resilience and biodiversity at scale is necessary to address the environmental challenges on the road towards global sustainable forestry.
CollectiveCrunch & Verra Carbon Accreditation Program
CollectiveCrunch is a solutions provider that is approved by Verra, a non-profit organisation that operates standards in environmental and social markets, including the world’s leading carbon crediting program, the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program.
In April 2022, Verra signed a MoU with FSC International.
The MoU outlined a workplan to help forestry projects that meet the requirements of both organisations to opt for cross-certification.
CollectiveCrunch has been developing state-of-the-art AI-based technologies for the forest sector since 2016. Linda Forest today covers 23 million hectares of forest.
For more information about the technology visit the CollectCrunch website.
