Researching forest
re-growth with
bird’s-eye-view photos

At 7-10 years of age, conifer trees are a bit like teenagers getting ready to leave home for the first time — finally tall and mature enough to merit what the forestry industry calls “free-to-grow” status.

At this stage, having successfully competed against other vegetation for sunlight, nutrients and water, the young conifers have a better chance of survival. Part of the management plan for sustainable forests is to ensure that coniferous trees regenerate after clear-cutting and make it past the critical “free-to-grow” period. Forestry researcher Darren Pouliot is using remote sensing — scanning the Earth from the air — to develop an automated computer program to check up on these “teenaged” trees.