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New technology could transform how woodland carbon is monitored
Laser scanning, helicopters and satellite data are being explored to make measuring trees and the carbon they store quicker, more consistent and accurate.
Innovative technology could change the way woodland and the carbon stored in trees are monitored across the UK, helping to strengthen the evidence behind woodland carbon projects.
The Woodland Carbon Code, managed by Scottish Forestry, is working with carbon data company, Sylvera, to develop a new remote sensing-based approach to monitoring woodland. The work was highlighted during Scotland’s Climate Week last week, which celebrated climate action taking place across Scotland.
Creating new woodland is an important way of tackling climate change because trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow. The Woodland Carbon Code is the UK Government-backed standard for woodland creation projects that generate high-integrity carbon credits. These projects allow landowners to create woodlands that produce carbon units, while businesses can purchase independently verified credits to compensate for unavoidable UK-based emissions.
Accurately measuring the carbon stored by woodland is therefore a key part of maintaining confidence in the scheme. Woodland Carbon Code projects are monitored throughout their lifetime and independently validated and verified by organisations approved by the UK Accreditation Service. The first verification takes place five years after a project’s start date and is repeated at least every ten years as the trees grow.
Monitoring currently involves surveyors visiting woodland sites to measure tree density within sample plots, assess the health of species and record factors such as natural regeneration and browsing. During later visits, tree height and diameter are also measured to help calculate the amount of carbon stored. While this approach provides valuable information, it can be time-consuming and physically challenging, particularly when surveyors need to navigate young woodland, undergrowth and low branches.
The new approach uses several layers of technology. Ground-based lidar, a form of laser mapping, can produce detailed 3D representations of trees. During 2026, Sylvera used the technique to sample 28 hectares of forest across 46 sites in Scotland, Wales and England, helping estimate tree volumes and carbon stocks. That information is being combined with high-resolution data gathered using helicopter-mounted laser scanning technology. The project aims to survey around 100,000 hectares of woodland and peatland across the UK. The ground and airborne measurements will then be compared with traditional surveys and used to train a model capable of interpreting satellite data. Once tested and validated, the satellite-based system could provide annual estimates of changes in trees and the carbon they store.
Satellite records could also help researchers examine changes on project sites dating back to 2017. The technology has already produced an intriguing discovery. More than 27,000 trees have been measured using ground-based laser scanning, including a Douglas fir in Gwydir, Wales, measured at 67.7 metres tall. If the measurement is confirmed, the tree could potentially be the tallest known specimen in Britain.
The effectiveness of the new monitoring approach will be assessed when the work concludes at the end of 2026. If it proves sufficiently accurate and efficient, it could be incorporated into the Woodland Carbon Code as an approved monitoring methodology, supporting efforts to make the Code more accessible and cost-effective for landowners while maintaining the integrity of woodland carbon credits.
Read the original article on the Woodland Carbon Code website.
