New data on planted trees is reshaping global forest monitoring and management. Join Global Forest Watch (GFW) and partners to explore the latest version of the Spatial Database of Planted Trees (SDPT), a harmonized database of planted forest and tree crop boundaries derived from national and regional sources. The latest version of SDPT, which was first published in 2019, now reaches near-global coverage with new planted tree boundaries, tree species information, and associated carbon sequestration rates. This update enables GFW to report more confidently on tree cover dynamics occurring in natural versus planted forests. It also aids enforcement actors in tracing the origin and species of imported timber. The database continues to be a valuable resource for forest monitoring and carbon accounting and increasingly supports efforts to map different forest types on a global scale.

At this event, experts from GFW, the University of Washington and European Commission’s Joint Research Centre will: 

  • Share the latest updates to SDPT and how you access it on GFW 
  • Explain why species-specific planted forest data is essential for conservation and climate goals 
  • Explore use cases of the database at the global scale.

Speakers:

  • Jessica Richter, GIS Research Analyst II, GFW, WRI 
  • Sarah Richardson, Research Consultant, University of Washington 
  • Suzanne Peyer, Research Scientist, University of Washington 
  • Astrid Verhegghen, Scientific Consultant, Joint Research Centre, European Commission 
  • Mel Rose, GIS Research Analyst II, GFW, WRI 
  • Moderator: Isabela Barriga, Community Engagement Manager, GFW, WRI