Image above: White flowering tree crowns spot the dense green forest in Lambir Hills National Park in Borneo, Malaysia on May 5, 2019. © 2019, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. In the dense tropical forests of Southeast Asia, scientists are monitoring the phenomenon of “general flowering” which is the synchronous mass […]
Image above: Flooding in Brazilian Amazon study site following hydroelectric complex installation taken June 28, 2022. © 2022, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. In Brazil, approximately 60% of the country’s electricity is powered by hydro dams. However, since the 1990s, there has been pressure on the country’s environment because of the […]
Image above: Planet image of a landslide in the Hurunui district of Canterbury in the South Island of New Zealand taken March 22, 2019. © 2019, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. In mountainous regions around the world, landslides cause significant harm to lives and economies. Between 1990 and 2017, these disasters […]
Image above: PlanetScope image of Durban, South Africa taken January 9, 2023. © 2023, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. In the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the improvement of informal settlements was listed as a priority. Informal settlements can be characterized as urban developments with densely packed housing typically made […]
Image above: SkySat image of the Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda taken September 23, 2022. © 2022, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. Using Planet’s SkySat data, a team of researchers have generated a novel approach to mapping the nation-wide tree-level carbon stock of Rwanda, and this model can be used for […]
Image above: Mangrove ecosystems around Batticaloa Lagoon, Sri Lanka taken January 11, 2023. © 2023, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. In 2015, Sri Lanka made history as the first nation to take strides to protect the full extent of their mangroves. Along the coastlines of Sri Lanka, these valuable mangrove ecosystems […]
When envisioning the scenic regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, people often conjure up images of stunning coastlines, sunny skies, and of course, delectable dishes topped with rich olive oil from local olive trees. In fact, 95 percent of global olive cultivation happens in the Mediterranean’s semi-arid climate. However, these traditionally drought-tolerant species […]
Image above: Yellow River estuary study site in Dongying, China taken December 11, 2022. © 2022, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. Salt marshes are important ecosystems that provide a variety of ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration and coastal protection, however, these watery environments are also susceptible to the devastating impacts of […]
Image above: PlanetScope image of a wildfire in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil taken August 7, 2021. © 2021, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. Pantanal is a natural region of South America which encompasses the world’s largest wetlands. Situated between the Mato Grosso area of Brazil and the borders of Bolivia […]
Image above: Snow cover on the Seward Peninsula in Alaska taken February 27, 2020. © 2020, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. Seasonal snowfall is very important to maintaining important ecological systems. For example, mountainous snowmelt replenishes rivers and watersheds with the arrival of spring and summer. Snow cover also acts as […]
