Geospatial technology in agroforestry: status, prospects, and constraints.

Area of Science:

• Agroforestry and Environmental Science
• Geospatial Technologies Application
• Climate Change Mitigation

Background:

• Agroforestry is vital for food security and climate change adaptation but lacks comprehensive assessment.
• Precise data on agroforestry extent, distribution, and carbon sequestration (CS) are limited.
• Geospatial technologies offer new avenues for agroforestry resource assessment and policy development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current applications of geospatial technologies in agroforestry.
• To identify constraints and limitations of existing geospatial methods.
• To explore future potential applications of geospatial technologies in agroforestry.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on geospatial technology applications in agroforestry.
• Analysis of optical remote sensing, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
• Discussion of current and future space agency missions relevant to agroforestry.

Main Results:

• Optical remote sensing aids in mapping, spectral signature analysis, CS assessment, and suitability mapping.
• SAR combined with vegetation algorithms improves gross primary productivity estimation.
• UAVs with advanced sensors provide higher accuracy than satellite data for agroforestry assessment.

Conclusions:

• Geospatial technologies are crucial for overcoming limitations in agroforestry assessment.
• Future research should focus on health monitoring using hyperspectral and thermal data.
• Upcoming space missions hold significant potential for advancing agroforestry research.