Definitions
1.1.
Deforestation : Forest land: Land that covers over 0.5 hectares (ha), featuring trees taller than 5 meters and a canopy cover exceeding 10 percent, or trees capable of reaching these sizes in their natural setting. This definition excludes areas primarily used for agriculture or urban development. 1 Deforestation is the conversion of forest to other land uses or the long-term reduction of tree canopy cover below the minimum 10% threshold. 2 This definition, aligned with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) definition, emphasizes the loss of forest cover due to human activities or natural causes, leading to significant ecological and environmental impacts. At TOC we select our deforestation risk analysis partners in line with their ability to carry out satellite monitoring that is aligned to FAO’s definition of forest and deforestation. We define deforestation as tree cover change of at least 0.5 ha in an area defined as forest. It is important to note that if the land was not a forest as per the “forest land” definition above, and it has undergone tree cover change of the size of 0.5m, then this tree cover change cannot be considered deforestation. Polygon mapping Polygon mapping is a technique used in geographic information systems (GIS) to represent areas or regions by defining the boundaries in the form of polygons. Polygons are geographic data—shapes formed by connecting a series of points (vertices) that enclose a specific area on a map. Each polygon is created by connecting multiple GPS coordinates, forming a closed shape that outlines a particular area. Polygon mapping is useful for representing various geographical features, such as cocoa plantations or forests.
1.2.
1 FAO, 2020. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020. Terms and Definitions FRA 2020. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Forest Resources Assessment Working Paper No. 188. 2 FAO, 2018. The State of the World’s Forests 2018 - Forest Pathways to Sustainable Development.
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