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  • Saatchi_2015

    Rights statement: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Saatchi, S. , Mascaro, J. , Xu, L. , Keller, M. , Yang, Y. , Duffy, P. , Espírito‐Santo, F. , Baccini, A. , Chambers, J. and Schimel, D. (2015), Correspondence. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 24: 606-610. doi:10.1111/geb.12256 which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/geb.12256/abstract This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.

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Seeing the forest beyond the trees

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineLetterpeer-review

Published

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Seeing the forest beyond the trees. / Saatchi, Sassan; Mascaro, Joseph; Xu, Liang et al.
In: Global Ecology and Biogeography, Vol. 24, No. 5, 05.2015, p. 606-610.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineLetterpeer-review

Harvard

Saatchi, S, Mascaro, J, Xu, L, Keller, M, Yang, Y, Duffy, P, Espirito-Santo, FDB, Baccini, A, Chambers, J & Schimel, D 2015, 'Seeing the forest beyond the trees', Global Ecology and Biogeography, vol. 24, no. 5, pp. 606-610. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12256

APA

Saatchi, S., Mascaro, J., Xu, L., Keller, M., Yang, Y., Duffy, P., Espirito-Santo, F. D. B., Baccini, A., Chambers, J., & Schimel, D. (2015). Seeing the forest beyond the trees. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 24(5), 606-610. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12256

Vancouver

Saatchi S, Mascaro J, Xu L, Keller M, Yang Y, Duffy P et al. Seeing the forest beyond the trees. Global Ecology and Biogeography. 2015 May;24(5):606-610. Epub 2014 Nov 17. doi: 10.1111/geb.12256

Author

Saatchi, Sassan ; Mascaro, Joseph ; Xu, Liang et al. / Seeing the forest beyond the trees. In: Global Ecology and Biogeography. 2015 ; Vol. 24, No. 5. pp. 606-610.

Bibtex

@article{cbb0e14622b843818ceed31a511d3142,
title = "Seeing the forest beyond the trees",
abstract = "In a recent paper (Mitchard etal. 2014, Global Ecology and Biogeography, 23, 935-946) a new map of forest biomass based on a geostatistical model of field data for the Amazon (and surrounding forests) was presented and contrasted with two earlier maps based on remote-sensing data Saatchi etal. (2011; RS1) and Baccini etal. (2012; RS2). Mitchard etal. concluded that both the earlier remote-sensing based maps were incorrect because they did not conform to Mitchard etal. interpretation of the field-based results. In making their case, however, they misrepresented the fundamental nature of primary field and remote-sensing data and committed critical errors in their assumptions about the accuracy of research plots, the interpolation methodology and the statistical analysis. By ignoring the large uncertainty associated with ground estimates of biomass and the significant under-sampling and spatial bias of research plots, Mitchard etal. reported erroneous trends and artificial patterns of biomass over Amazonia. Because of these misrepresentations and methodological flaws, we find their critique of the satellite-derived maps to be invalid.",
keywords = "Allometry, biomass, lidar, remote sensing, spatial modelling, tree height, tropical forests, wood density, ABOVEGROUND LIVE BIOMASS, WOOD SPECIFIC-GRAVITY, TROPICAL FOREST, CARBON-DENSITY, PATTERNS, AMAZONIA, STOCKS, PANAMA, BASIN, LIDAR",
author = "Sassan Saatchi and Joseph Mascaro and Liang Xu and Michael Keller and Yan Yang and Paul Duffy and Espirito-Santo, {Fernando D. B.} and Alessandro Baccini and Jeffery Chambers and David Schimel",
note = "This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Saatchi, S. , Mascaro, J. , Xu, L. , Keller, M. , Yang, Y. , Duffy, P. , Esp{\'i}rito‐Santo, F. , Baccini, A. , Chambers, J. and Schimel, D. (2015), Correspondence. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 24: 606-610. doi:10.1111/geb.12256 which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/geb.12256/abstract This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.",
year = "2015",
month = may,
doi = "10.1111/geb.12256",
language = "English",
volume = "24",
pages = "606--610",
journal = "Global Ecology and Biogeography",
issn = "1466-822X",
publisher = "Blackwell Publishing Ltd",
number = "5",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Seeing the forest beyond the trees

AU - Saatchi, Sassan

AU - Mascaro, Joseph

AU - Xu, Liang

AU - Keller, Michael

AU - Yang, Yan

AU - Duffy, Paul

AU - Espirito-Santo, Fernando D. B.

AU - Baccini, Alessandro

AU - Chambers, Jeffery

AU - Schimel, David

N1 - This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Saatchi, S. , Mascaro, J. , Xu, L. , Keller, M. , Yang, Y. , Duffy, P. , Espírito‐Santo, F. , Baccini, A. , Chambers, J. and Schimel, D. (2015), Correspondence. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 24: 606-610. doi:10.1111/geb.12256 which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/geb.12256/abstract This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.

PY - 2015/5

Y1 - 2015/5

N2 - In a recent paper (Mitchard etal. 2014, Global Ecology and Biogeography, 23, 935-946) a new map of forest biomass based on a geostatistical model of field data for the Amazon (and surrounding forests) was presented and contrasted with two earlier maps based on remote-sensing data Saatchi etal. (2011; RS1) and Baccini etal. (2012; RS2). Mitchard etal. concluded that both the earlier remote-sensing based maps were incorrect because they did not conform to Mitchard etal. interpretation of the field-based results. In making their case, however, they misrepresented the fundamental nature of primary field and remote-sensing data and committed critical errors in their assumptions about the accuracy of research plots, the interpolation methodology and the statistical analysis. By ignoring the large uncertainty associated with ground estimates of biomass and the significant under-sampling and spatial bias of research plots, Mitchard etal. reported erroneous trends and artificial patterns of biomass over Amazonia. Because of these misrepresentations and methodological flaws, we find their critique of the satellite-derived maps to be invalid.

AB - In a recent paper (Mitchard etal. 2014, Global Ecology and Biogeography, 23, 935-946) a new map of forest biomass based on a geostatistical model of field data for the Amazon (and surrounding forests) was presented and contrasted with two earlier maps based on remote-sensing data Saatchi etal. (2011; RS1) and Baccini etal. (2012; RS2). Mitchard etal. concluded that both the earlier remote-sensing based maps were incorrect because they did not conform to Mitchard etal. interpretation of the field-based results. In making their case, however, they misrepresented the fundamental nature of primary field and remote-sensing data and committed critical errors in their assumptions about the accuracy of research plots, the interpolation methodology and the statistical analysis. By ignoring the large uncertainty associated with ground estimates of biomass and the significant under-sampling and spatial bias of research plots, Mitchard etal. reported erroneous trends and artificial patterns of biomass over Amazonia. Because of these misrepresentations and methodological flaws, we find their critique of the satellite-derived maps to be invalid.

KW - Allometry

KW - biomass

KW - lidar

KW - remote sensing

KW - spatial modelling

KW - tree height

KW - tropical forests

KW - wood density

KW - ABOVEGROUND LIVE BIOMASS

KW - WOOD SPECIFIC-GRAVITY

KW - TROPICAL FOREST

KW - CARBON-DENSITY

KW - PATTERNS

KW - AMAZONIA

KW - STOCKS

KW - PANAMA

KW - BASIN

KW - LIDAR

U2 - 10.1111/geb.12256

DO - 10.1111/geb.12256

M3 - Letter

VL - 24

SP - 606

EP - 610

JO - Global Ecology and Biogeography

JF - Global Ecology and Biogeography

SN - 1466-822X

IS - 5

ER -