Research

Cutting-edge climate research

Sylvera Research pioneers on-the-ground carbon measurement techniques to build the most accurate reference biomass dataset ever assembled. Reference data used to train transformative models estimate forest carbon with unprecedented accuracy worldwide. Learn how these insights can improve our understanding of how nature-based solutions mitigate climate change and unlock effective global policy to reach net zero goals.

Shortcomings

The climate crisis needs better forest monitoring

Thriving forests are essential for limiting global heating. 
To better track forest emissions and hold the right people accountable, we need accurate, reliable, and up-to-date data. That’s where Sylvera comes in.

Shortcomings hinder current measurement efforts:

High uncertainties

Conventional methodologies of emissions calculations and earth observation methods rely on reference data with known significant inaccuracies.

Insufficient coverage

Limited data on the forest carbon cycle - geographically, and across ecosystems.

Inconsistencies

Data gaps, method variations, and reporting issues erode monitoring efforts.

State-of-the-art tech

Sensor technologies unlock powerful monitoring

We’ve pioneered the world’s most accurate measurements of above-ground biomass for forests.

forest mapping

We’re now expanding our capabilities to collect calibration data for further carbon pools (below-ground biomass, soil, and others), and to validate the resulting models with direct measurements of carbon in the atmosphere.

We're seeking funding opportunities to make our proprietary data sets accessible and ensure this information is actionable for the widest possible audience.

We discovered two critical facts: carbon stocks have been significantly underestimated, and emissions from forest loss and degradation may be greater than what was previously thought.

Sylvera already uses cutting-edge laser scanning technology to collect this data on the ground.

Case study

Mozambique

50K

Hectare highly-accurate map of the above-ground biomass

In 2022, we partnered with the Government of Mozambique through the Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification Unit of the National Fund for Sustainable Development to produce a highly accurate 50,000-hectare map of the above-ground carbon stocks in Mozambique, using multi-scale lidar and machine learning. The data collection completed was equivalent to scanning seventy thousand football pitches, making

13x

More accurate than conventional methods

Our measurement system is underpinned by methods that are up to 13 times more accurate than conventional methodologies. Using these methods, we found classical approaches significantly underestimated the carbon stock of the sampled area. This was greatest for large trees (those above 40 cm in diameter), which only represent 10% of all trees in the study area by number yet make up 50% of the total carbon stock.

Map

These findings will calibrate a state-of-the-art monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) system over the subtropical forests of Zambezia province and demonstrate that these forests are more valuable as carbon stores than previously thought. These results are currently being prepared for publication (Demol et al., in prep).

Methodology
01

Terrestrial laser scans were collected from six 1-hectare plots, providing high-density point clouds describing tree structure down to individual leaves.

02

Individual trees were segmented from these point clouds, and their woody structure modeled using cylinders, enabling whole-tree volume estimation.

03

These volumes were combined with species information from conventional inventory measurements, to generate highly-accurate 10m resolution above-ground maps.

04

To upscale our measurements, we collected 2,000 hectares of slow-flying and 50,000 hectares of fast-flying airborne lidar data, at different heights above the canopy.

05

We extracted various independent metrics from our airborne data, including canopy height maps, terrain, and forest structure…

06

…and used machine learning and our 1-hectare above-ground biomass maps as training data to upscale our estimates to six 300 hectare areas, and again to span an incredible 50,000 hectares of miombo woodland.

07

Finally, we used proprietary machine learning methods, applied to satellite data, to unlock full coverage over the entire province of Zambezia.

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Explore the map to see where we’ve been, and where we’re planning on sampling next.

48M
Trees scanned and counting
US
United States of America
Planned site
United States of America
GB
United Kingdom
Completed site
2,500 trees
Wytham Woods
5 hectares
CG
Republic of the Congo
Planned site
Congo
PK
Pakistan
Planned site
Pakistan
PE
Peru
Completed site
32,104,930 trees
Tambopata National Reserve
55,770 hectares
NO
Norway
Planned site
Norway
MZ
Mozambique
Completed site
14,032,410 trees
Gilé National Park & Maputo National Park
53,673 hectares
ID
Indonesia
Planned site
Indonesia
GA
Gabon
Completed site
295,854 trees
Ipassa-Makokou Biosphere Reserve
722 hectares
CM
Cameroon
Completed site
468,160 trees
ADENAM Community Forest
1,140 hectares
BR
Brazil
Planned site
Brazil
BZ
Belize
Completed site
1,605,500 trees
Chiquibul Forest Reserve
3,211 hectares
AU
Australia
Planned site
Australia
AR
Argentina
Planned site
Argentina
AO
Angola
Planned site
Angola
Completed sites
Planned sites
Country
Completed site
Planned site
Trees
hectares
exact location
Our team

We have built a team of experts, including a dedicated field science unit that collects calibration data on month-long expeditions in key forested areas around the world. This capability allows our in-house data scientists to build highly accurate machine learning models, integrating data from satellites and other sources, to accurately predict forest carbon stocks.

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Dr Andrew Burt

Head of Field Data Science

Andrew heads Sylvera’s Field Data Science team. A remote sensing scientist and tropical forest ecologist, over the past decade he has helped to pioneer lidar-based methods for measuring forest structure and biomass.

Publications
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Sophia Farrar

Director of Research Partnerships

Sophia is responsible for the fundraising and scaling of field research through partnerships with foundations, international organizations, and governments. She has a background in building global, open-source datasets for humanitarian advocacy and action in the UN system.

Publications
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Dr Christopher Walter

Soil Carbon Lead

Chris leads the analysis of soil carbon and nutrient cycling in grasslands, forests, and agricultural systems. With a PhD in Biology, Chris has led continental-scale experiments to measure and model the effects of global climate change on soil carbon.

Publications
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Gabija Bernotaite

Senior Research Software Engineer

Gabija is responsible for processing our lidar data. She has a background in computer science and brings a wealth of knowledge from her experience in developing time-sensitive and safety-critical algorithms to process lidar point clouds for autonomous vehicle applications.

Publications
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Dr Robin Upham

Senior Research Software Engineer

Robin is responsible for developing research and analysis methods, with a particular focus on quantitative modeling and uncertainty quantification. With a PhD in Astrophysics, Robin brings experience from developing quantitative analysis methods for the ESA Euclid satellite mission.

Publications
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Dr Miro Demol

Lidar Scientist

Miro has a PhD focused on reducing uncertainties in terrestrial lidar-derived estimates of above-ground biomass and processes our lidar data at Sylvera. He has a background in bio-engineering and nature management, and tropical forestry.

Publications
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Dr Beisit Luz Puma Vilca

Senior Field Scientist

Beisit leads the Sylvera field team and oversees field campaigns globally. Currently, she has been involved in campaigns in Peru, Brazil, Belize, Mozambique, Cameroon, and the United Kingdom. With a Ph.D. in Biology and over 13 years of experience, her primary research emphasis lies in plant ecophysiology. She has contributed significantly to the development and implementation of forest measurement protocols for carbon dynamics. To date, she has conducted ground measurements and collected terrestrial and airborne lidar data using drones and helicopters over different ecosystems such as tropical forests, woodlands and peatlands.

Publications
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Chloe Sutcliffe

Field Scientist and Lead Pilot

Chloe brings a rich background in ecological field research in Kenya, Madagascar, and Malawi. At Sylvera, she has collected terrestrial and airborne lidar data on complex field campaigns in Mozambique, Cameroon, and Peru, with a recent focus on leading Sylvera’s drone operations.

Publications
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Beatriz Fernandes

Field Analyst

Beatriz has a Master’s in Conservation Rural Development, and experience leading ecological field research and community development initiatives in Tanzania, Peru, and Cambodia. As part of the field team she collects airborne and terrestrial lidar data over different ecosystems.

Publications
arrow-right

Elise Elmendorp

Research Operations Manager

Elise oversees the logistical, budgetary, and research operations of the Field Data Science team. With a Master’s in environmental management, she has substantial experience in stakeholder engagement and planning international field work across the globe.

Publications
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Mikolaj Krzekotowski

Research Technician

With a Master's in Zoology, Mikolaj brings experience to the Field Data Science team from his previous position developing exhibitions at the Natural History Museum in London. As the field Research Technician, he is responsible for overseeing the maintenance and management of Sylvera's drones and sensing equipment, for operations in various challenging environments.

Publications
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Pontus Nordin

Senior R&D Engineer

Pontus leads Sylvera’s current research into the monitoring of peatland restoration. He has a background in particle physics and soil carbon and uses his interdisciplinary knowledge to develop new methods and sensors for Sylvera’s carbon monitoring efforts.

Publications
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Dr Pedro Rodríguez-Veiga

Senior Earth Observation Research Scientist

Pedro has a PhD in Physical Geography, his research focuses on analyzing forest carbon dynamics using remote sensing technology. He has been a co-investigator on high-impact projects such as the ESA Biomass Climate Change Initiative (CCI+), the NERC-NCEO Carbon Cycle: Land, Atmosphere & Oceans Programme, and the UK Space Agency Forests 2020.

Publications
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Dr Johannes Hansen

Machine Learning Research Lead (ML)

Johannes Hansen has a Ph.D. in Computational Mathematics and Geosciences with experience in Earth Observation (using SAR data in particular), physical modelling, and high-performance computing.

Publications
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Mikolaj Krzekotowski

Research Technician

With a Master's in Zoology, Mikolaj brings experience to the Field Data Science team from his previous position developing exhibitions at the Natural History Museum in London. As the field Research Technician, he is responsible for overseeing the maintenance and management of Sylvera's drones and sensing equipment, for operations in various challenging environments.

Publications
arrow-right

Pontus Nordin

Senior R&D Engineer

Pontus leads Sylvera’s current research into the monitoring of peatland restoration. He has a background in particle physics and soil carbon and uses his interdisciplinary knowledge to develop new methods and sensors for Sylvera’s carbon monitoring efforts.

Publications
arrow-right

Beatriz Fernandes

Field Analyst

Beatriz has a Master’s in Conservation Rural Development, and experience leading ecological field research and community development initiatives in Tanzania, Peru, and Cambodia. As part of the field team she collects airborne and terrestrial lidar data over different ecosystems.

Publications
arrow-right

Dr Johannes Hansen

Machine Learning Research Lead (ML)

Johannes Hansen has a Ph.D. in Computational Mathematics and Geosciences with experience in Earth Observation (using SAR data in particular), physical modelling, and high-performance computing.

Publications
arrow-right

Dr Pedro Rodríguez-Veiga

Senior Earth Observation Research Scientist

Pedro has a PhD in Physical Geography, his research focuses on analyzing forest carbon dynamics using remote sensing technology. He has been a co-investigator on high-impact projects such as the ESA Biomass Climate Change Initiative (CCI+), the NERC-NCEO Carbon Cycle: Land, Atmosphere & Oceans Programme, and the UK Space Agency Forests 2020.

Publications
arrow-right

Dr Christopher Walter

Soil Carbon Lead

Chris leads the analysis of soil carbon and nutrient cycling in grasslands, forests, and agricultural systems. With a PhD in Biology, Chris has led continental-scale experiments to measure and model the effects of global climate change on soil carbon.

Publications
arrow-right

Chloe Sutcliffe

Field Scientist and Lead Pilot

Chloe brings a rich background in ecological field research in Kenya, Madagascar, and Malawi. At Sylvera, she has collected terrestrial and airborne lidar data on complex field campaigns in Mozambique, Cameroon, and Peru, with a recent focus on leading Sylvera’s drone operations.

Publications
arrow-right

Sophia Farrar

Director of Research Partnerships

Sophia is responsible for the fundraising and scaling of field research through partnerships with foundations, international organizations, and governments. She has a background in building global, open-source datasets for humanitarian advocacy and action in the UN system.

Publications
arrow-right

Dr Beisit Luz Puma Vilca

Senior Field Scientist

Beisit leads the Sylvera field team and oversees field campaigns globally. Currently, she has been involved in campaigns in Peru, Brazil, Belize, Mozambique, Cameroon, and the United Kingdom. With a Ph.D. in Biology and over 13 years of experience, her primary research emphasis lies in plant ecophysiology. She has contributed significantly to the development and implementation of forest measurement protocols for carbon dynamics. To date, she has conducted ground measurements and collected terrestrial and airborne lidar data using drones and helicopters over different ecosystems such as tropical forests, woodlands and peatlands.

Publications
arrow-right

Elise Elmendorp

Research Operations Manager

Elise oversees the logistical, budgetary, and research operations of the Field Data Science team. With a Master’s in environmental management, she has substantial experience in stakeholder engagement and planning international field work across the globe.

Publications
arrow-right

Dr Miro Demol

Lidar Scientist

Miro has a PhD focused on reducing uncertainties in terrestrial lidar-derived estimates of above-ground biomass and processes our lidar data at Sylvera. He has a background in bio-engineering and nature management, and tropical forestry.

Publications
arrow-right

Dr Robin Upham

Senior Research Software Engineer

Robin is responsible for developing research and analysis methods, with a particular focus on quantitative modeling and uncertainty quantification. With a PhD in Astrophysics, Robin brings experience from developing quantitative analysis methods for the ESA Euclid satellite mission.

Publications
arrow-right

Gabija Bernotaite

Senior Research Software Engineer

Gabija is responsible for processing our lidar data. She has a background in computer science and brings a wealth of knowledge from her experience in developing time-sensitive and safety-critical algorithms to process lidar point clouds for autonomous vehicle applications.

Publications
arrow-right

Dr Andrew Burt

Head of Field Data Science

Andrew heads Sylvera’s Field Data Science team. A remote sensing scientist and tropical forest ecologist, over the past decade he has helped to pioneer lidar-based methods for measuring forest structure and biomass.

Publications
arrow-right
Learn more

Relevant publications

Discover relevant publications featuring the contributions of our team to academic literature.

Get in Touch

Sylvera’s technology and expertise provide the necessary data for unlocking global net zero. Join us as partners and donors in this mission.

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