# ForestNet: Classifying Drivers of Deforestation in Indonesia using Deep Learning on Satellite Imagery

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.05479 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2011.05479/

## Key facts

- Cited by 27 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 11 Nov 2020.

## Built on by (most cited first, 27 of 27)

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- [TreeFormers -- An Exploration of Vision Transformers for Deforestation Driver Classification](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.15989/) (2024)
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## Abstract (arXiv)

Characterizing the processes leading to deforestation is critical to the development and implementation of targeted forest conservation and management policies. In this work, we develop a deep learning model called ForestNet to classify the drivers of primary forest loss in Indonesia, a country with one of the highest deforestation rates in the world. Using satellite imagery, ForestNet identifies the direct drivers of deforestation in forest loss patches of any size. We curate a dataset of Landsat 8 satellite images of known forest loss events paired with driver annotations from expert interpreters. We use the dataset to train and validate the models and demonstrate that ForestNet substantially outperforms other standard driver classification approaches. In order to support future research on automated approaches to deforestation driver classification, the dataset curated in this study is publicly available at https://stanfordmlgroup.github.io/projects/forestnet .