Google DeepMind ForTy maps every forest type on Earth at 10 m
Why it matters
Google DeepMind and Google Research, with the World Resources Institute (WRI) and IIASA, released Forest Typology (ForTy) 2020 on Oct 22, 2026: a global map that classifies every 10x10-meter patch of land on Earth into six forest and land-use types (primary forest, naturally regenerating forest, planted forest, plantation forest, tree crops and agroforestry such as oil palm, rubber or cocoa, and other land). The model was trained on about 1.7 million labeled locations using AlphaEarth Foundations satellite embeddings. Validated at more than 9,000 randomly chosen sites, each reviewed by two trained experts, it picked the right forest type 90% of the time and told forest from non-forest 95% of the time. An early-release yearly time series (2017-2025) shows where natural forests were replaced by plantations or farms. The map and time series are free on Google Earth Engine under an open license, and ForTy 2020 is a key baseline for the EU deforestation regulation (EUDR).
Read the source: Google DeepMind (opens in a new tab)
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