44moles

Why do we need better forest data? 🌲 Although it may be obvious to us, this is a question we frequently get asked at 44moles. After all, this is a niche industry, and the reasons for generating better forest data may not be immediately apparent. Perhaps it is easier to understand the importance of forest data when considering forest fires. In the province of British Columbia, Canada – one of the world’s worst-hit regions for forest fires in recent years – one CBC News article states: “Inaccurate government data may be stoking wildfires.” The article is based on a study published by researchers at The University of British Columbia, the University of Washington, and the Canadian Forest Service, which finds that decisions surrounding forest management and firefighting are being negatively impacted by inaccurate government data. Specifically, they find that in British Columbia’s interior, categorized “forest fuel loads” – that is, the properties in a forest that influence wildfires – are being misrepresented. They find two core reasons for the mismatches between government classifications of fuel types and field-based assessments of plots undertaken for the study: 1) inaccurate forest inventory data, and 2) the fuel typing system, Canada’s Behaviour Prediction System (FBP System). We at 44moles are especially interested in the first reason that the study highlights – issues with forest inventory data. The study emphasizes that one of the primary issues with existing forest inventory data is “inconsistencies in interpreting attributes from aerial photography without field validation,” much of which is from before the year 2000. Further, the study notes that the provincial forest inventory is also limited due to its original nature: “The provincial forest inventory was originally designed to inventory and account for merchantable timber, but does not consistently account for non-merchantable timber conditions.” For example, characteristics such as forest structure and composition may not always be effectively considered or tracked. Ultimately, the study concludes that mismatches between government classifications of fuel types and the reality on the ground “constrain fundamental fire research and management decisions, including informing wildfire operations and fuel management.” ➡️ This brings us back to our mission statement here at 44moles: the more we know about forests, the better we can protect them. Learn more by reading the sources in the comments, or read about 44moles’ work at our website: https://bit.ly/4bikvj2 

This month, as part of our #MeetTheMoles series, we’re excited to introduce Mark Deanil Vicente, originally from the Philippines! Mark is the driving force behind turning ideas into sleek, seamless web solutions—and yes, he’s probably fixing a few bugs along the way too! 🪲 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝟰𝟰𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀? I’m the head of the Web Development Team. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁? There are three things that excite me the most about this role. First, what I do here aligns with my passion for building things together and collaborating to deliver web app solutions to end users. Second, the freedom to be creative. Lastly, the opportunity to learn and contribute more through teamwork and cross-departmental collaboration. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳. I have two cats, Cheetah and Kira, so I take care of them. My hobbies include learning, playing games, and, when the time is right, traveling to take photos and videos of places to post them. I enjoy collecting memories and storing them in my social media or cloud photo gallery, so I can look back on them in the future. #meetthemoles #greentech #employeespotlight

Back in June, we wrote about the EU deforestation regulation (EUDR). At the time, there were already talks surrounding the potential delay for implementation, set for 1 January 2025 for larger companies. Now, these talks have come to fruition, as the European Parliament is set to vote to delay implementation by one year. Additional amendments to the regulation have been proposed by the European People’s Party (EPP), including a two-year proposed delay, all of which will also be voted on later this week. As it stands, the EUDR aims to put a stop to deforestation caused by some of the biggest contributing commodities: cocoa, soy, palm oil, rubber, wood products, cattle products, and coffee. Timber products are meant to join the list in 2027. To abide by the regulation, companies who import such commodities to the European Union will need to: 1) Showcase a proof of origin for products, which should consist of geo-locations of all plots of land from where the commodity was sourced; 2) Showcase proof that the imported good did not contribute to deforestation starting 1 January 2021; and, 3) Demonstrate that the sourcing and production of the goods complied with local regulations. With the amendments proposed by the EPP, critics are calling the regulation “dead tree.” The amendments, says WWF, “betray all those companies that have already invested to prepare for the EUDR and are now faced with far reaching changes and loss of their investments.” Outside of the now two-year proposed delay, some of the other amendments include excluding traders from most obligations and including a category of “no risk” countries. Does this directly impact the work of 44moles? Maybe not on a regulatory level. But from the perspective of our mission to support the conservation and restoration of forests around the world through reliable and accurate data, it absolutely does. 🔎 As we continue to learn of the dire need to protect these essential carbon sinks, which face ever increasing risk of forest fire fueled by climate change, preventing deforestation at all levels and through all means is essential. 🌳 Although the EUDR is only a start, it is an essential stepping stone towards moving the tide in favor of forest conservation. Like many stakeholders, we will be watching the outcome of the European Parliament vote. ➡ Sources in the comments, or learn more about the importance of forests and the work 44moles is doing to better understand them at our website: https://bit.ly/4bikvj2

In Cali, Colombia, representatives from 196 countries are nearing the end of nearly two weeks of negotiations to address the biodiversity crisis. At #COP16, or the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, risks, impacts, and opportunities have been discussed at length. The location of the meeting is notable: negotiators and stakeholders have gathered in one of the host countries of the most biodiverse, important, and subsequently at-risk ecosystems in the world: the Amazon Rainforest. 🌳 And indeed, at COP16, the Amazon Rainforest has been central to many of the discussions and negotiations that have taken place. At the last biodiversity COP in 2022, signatories to the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Agreement committed to restore 30% of all degraded ecosystems and to conserve 30% of land, waters, and seas by 2030. However, as of today, the actions (and finances) behind the pledges remain minimal. And the Amazon – the world’s largest forest carbon sink – will feel those impacts. As per a recently released report by leading climate scientists from Future Earth, The Earth League, and World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) “10 New Insights in Climate Science,” the forests of the Amazon are at a critical point for the climate. “Due to climate change,” the scientists write, “Amazon forests are approaching multiple thresholds (related to temperature, rainfall, and seasonality), beyond which significant ecological changes can be triggered, potentially leading to a large-scale forest collapse.” Although our research and development process at 44moles is currently focused on optimizing our automated processing pipeline for boreal forest data, we are very interested and invested in better understanding tropical forests, too. Not only because tropical forests are based in the Global South, an area that needs international attention and climate finance, but also because these forests are extremely effective at carbon sequestration. ➡ Read more about COP16 via the sources in the comments, or learn about 44moles’ work at our website: https://bit.ly/4bikvj2

Measuring Tree Biomass: Traditional Methods for Calculating Carbon Content The idea of measuring tree biomass, particularly carbon, began to take shape in the early 20th century when scientists became more interested in understanding forests' role in the carbon cycle. By the mid-1900s, the ability to estimate how much carbon was in a tree became an important part of studying climate change and carbon sequestration. Early research showed that trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere, storing carbon in their trunks, branches, leaves, and roots as they grow. To reliably estimate how much carbon trees store, researchers developed biomass tables in the mid-20th century. These tables were based on data from various types of trees that had been cut down, measured, and analysed. This allowed them to create tables that estimated carbon storage based on measurable tree characteristics such as diameter at breast height (DBH) and height. These tables became a valuable tool for forest scientists, as the trees no longer needed to be cut down to have their carbon measured. Forest scientists continue to use these traditional techniques, enhanced with modern tools, to measure tree biomass today. Here’s a step-by-step look at the process: 1. Measuring Diameter at Breast Height (DBH):  A forester wraps a specialized diameter tape around the tree at 1.3 meters above ground to measure its DBH. This converts the circumference into a diameter reading, allowing for quick and accurate measurements. 2. Estimating Tree Height:  Tree height is often estimated using a hypsometer or a clinometer to determine the angle between the observer’s eye and the top of the tree. Combined with a known distance from the tree, this can give an estimate of the tree’s height. 3. Referring to Biomass Tables:  With the DBH and height, the forester consults the biomass tables for the specific tree species, translating the measurements into biomass estimates, including stored carbon. How accurate is this? While traditional methods for measuring tree biomass are fairly accurate, errors typically fall in the range of 10-20% of the measurement. Individual trees can vary based on environmental conditions and growth patterns. Trees with irregular shapes or those affected by damage (like broken limbs) don’t follow typical patterns. Trees in different climates or soils can store carbon differently. Conclusion  Despite the risk of errors, traditional methods–and the biomass tables in particular–are still used by most foresters today. However, technology is raising the bar, improving accuracy and reliability. 

Forests are in danger. It’s an age-old trope, we know. But it’s true – they are. And this has never been more apparent. Earlier this week, The Guardian published two consecutive articles about the loss of carbon stock in forests. The first article highlights preliminary research findings that on average, forests worldwide have almost equalized in terms of total amount of carbon emitted vs. total amount of carbon stored. This has largely been caused by factors such as wildfires and drought, especially prevalent in Boreal forests (Russia, Scandinavia, Alaska, and Canada). The second article, meanwhile, dives into a case study of the forests in Finland, which since 2018 have been a net carbon emitter rather than sink, with 90% of the country’s carbon sinks declining between 2009 and 2022. These articles come off the back of a recent report published by the German government’s Agriculture Ministry (BMEL), based on their latest federal forest inventory which takes place every decade. The inventory took place in 2022, however results were publicly released last week. Although the inventory indicates some positive trends, such as forests being overall older and richer in structure since the last inventory in 2012, the most staggering finding was that starting in 2017, German forests have become a carbon dioxide emitter, rather than sink. The report points to climate change as the leading driver of this shift from carbon sink to carbon emitter. At 44moles, we are deeply aware of the importance of forests: for the climate, for biodiversity, for human health and community. The recent studies we have described here are not meant to discourage, but rather to underscore exactly how important forests are. And without accurate and reliable data, we cannot gauge the constantly changing dynamics of forests. ➡ Sources in the comments, or learn more about our work at https://bit.ly/4bikvj2

This week, the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences' Third Infinity is taking place in Göttingen, bringing together some of the world’s leading scientists to push the boundaries of research and innovation. The event will span three days filled with groundbreaking discussions on topics ranging from quantum physics to climate change. At the heart of these conversations is a collective focus on how science can drive sustainable solutions to our most pressing global challenges. Forest ecosystems are important factors in carbon sequestration, biodiversity preservation, and maintaining the Earth's balance, but the health of these ecosystems depends on precise, data-driven approaches that come from rigorous scientific research. It’s no secret that scientists are trying to understand haow we can better protect and restore the world’s forests. This research helps us measure carbon storage, improve reforestation techniques, and develop new ways to combat deforestation. The work of scientists is not just about observation–it’s about actively supporting forest ecosystems to help mitigate climate change. Without their efforts, we would have far fewer tools to use, and even fewer ways to measure if they had any positive effect. 44moles will have a booth at Third Infinity from 16-18 October, exchanging ideas with thought leaders and engaging with cutting-edge research specialists. On Friday, October 18th, Simone Massaro will give a presentation on how 44moles uses data science and engineering to support our sustainability goals. Simone will focus on how technology, like handheld LiDAR scanners, can bridge the gap between science and actionable climate solutions. We look forward to contributing to the important discussions at Third Infinity's biennial conference and to learning from some of the brightest minds in the field. Join us as we explore how science and technology can work hand in hand to create a more sustainable future.

The #44moles team checking in from Munich for #Bits24 ✨ Visit our booth and ask us anything about laser forests - no lederhosen required, but certainly welcome 😉

In case you didn’t notice, we’ve rebranded. And not just in name (from 44.moles to 44moles) – we’ve actually updated who we are as a company, focusing strictly on providing high-quality data about the world’s best carbon sinks – forests! 🌳 (Check out our CEO Sebastian Seidel’s announcement on his LinkedIn page to learn more about that.) If you want to talk to us about our startup journey, how we are integrating LiDAR technology with AI, or simply exchange ideas about innovative solutions to climate change, stop by our booth at the Startup Exhibition at Bits & Pretzels on Sunday and Monday! #Bits24 Otherwise, maybe we’ll see you at Oktoberfest 😉