Google ForTy Map Distinguishes Natural Forests from Plantations at 10-Metre Resolution

·2026.11.01 07:30

Key point

The system uses AlphaEarth satellite embeddings and 1.7 million labelled examples to separate natural forests, plantations, and tree crops globally.

Google released ForTy on 22 October, a map that distinguishes natural forests, planted forests, plantations, and tree crops at 10-metre resolution.
The release includes a global 2020 map and an early annual series covering 2017 to 2025, allowing users to see what replaced forests rather than just where trees disappeared.
Google reports 90% forest-type accuracy in validation at over 9,000 sites, using AlphaEarth satellite embeddings and approximately 1.7 million labelled examples.
The annual series is an early release, and the maps are freely available to explore in Earth Engine.

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