The Smithsonian Institution has announced that the Bezos Earth Fund has awarded a $12 million grant in support of the Panama-based Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) to independently ensure the accuracy of satellite monitoring of forest biomass.

The GEO-TREES initiative, an international consortium that measures carbon stored in trees in all forest types and conditions, will offer a freely accessible database that integrates on-the-ground measurements of individual trees with terrestrial and aerial laser scans (via light detection and ranging, or LiDAR) of forests—a highly accurate way to verify forest carbon estimates based on satellite images. Most of the grant will be spent in tropical countries—many of them middle- and low-income nations—for data collection and to strengthen capacity for local stakeholders and early-career scientists. In addition, the effort will enable scientists to combine field data with cutting-edge technology to monitor and evaluate the carbon stored in the forests. 

At the heart of the GEO-TREES system is the Smithsonian’s ForestGEO network, directed by STRI staff scientist Stuart Davies, who works closely with partners around the globe. With 40 years’ experience rooted in the tropics, ForestGEO is the most extensive, long-term forest-monitoring network in the world, representing researchers at 76 study sites in 29 countries. STRI will administer the funds via ForestGEO, which is distinguished by its emphasis on partnership, incorporating the need for data with local conservation and management goals.

“The GEO-TREES project is as exciting as it is essential for our detailed understanding of the interplay between tropical forests and carbon capture,” said Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch. “Scientific research has been at the heart of the Smithsonian’s mission for more than 176 years, and the grant from the Bezos Earth Fund demonstrates the value of support and collaboration in the search for solutions to our planet’s shared challenges.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/SL Photography)