State Inventory of Russian Forest

Satellite images in direct reception mode are downlinked to the network of UniScan ground stations in Moscow, Megion, Irkutsk and Magadan. Centralised data processing is done by the ScanEx specialists in Moscow. Starting on 19th June, SPOT 5 data reception and processing is carried out to the benefit of the project. A special "State Forest Inventory 2010" web-mapping service is used to transfer data to regional departments of Roslesinforg. This web-mapping service runs on GeoMixer technology, originally designed as the operations engine of the popular Kosmosnimki.Ru resource.

ScanEx has been doing imaging of Russian forests for forest use monitoring and control in behalf of the Russian Forestry Agency since 2008. Remote monitoring was conducted, first of all, based on IRS-1D/-P5/-P6 data. Starting from 2009, SPOT 5 and Formosat-2 images with advanced characteristics are used for monitoring. Such large-scale application of modern space technologies for forest monitoring in Russia became possible also due to the creation and implementation of a system of satellite-based monitoring of our forests in 2005-2008. Specialists of ScanEx RDC together with their partners from Roslesinforg developed the concept for such a system and resolved technical and organizational issues of its introduction.

Federal Forestry Agency lays much emphasis on the development and improvement of state forest inventory. Remote monitoring of the forest condition and use proved its high efficiency and was supported by the federal authorities and the Russian Federation constituents. Forest monitoring, forest protection and reforestation efficiency assessment results are widely used by governmental authorities for forest management and by General Prosecutor Office, Ministry of Interiors, Federal Customs Service and Rosselkhoznadzor (Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance). In the nearest future forest condition and forest use monitoring will be carried out all the year around, - sums up Deputy General Director of Roslesinforg Vladimir Manovich.