Post by Evie, Data Science Unit, Welsh Government

Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg

There are many areas of Wales where woodland clearance has taken place, especially since the 19th century.  We define ‘lost historic woodland’ as areas of woodland that existed on historic maps but no longer exist today. These areas may be suitable for re-planting because the original soil is well suited for tree growth having an established root network and ecosystem. Finding these areas and targeting them could improve success rates of woodland creation or regeneration schemes and support delivery of key government targets, such as the National Forest for Wales. This blog describes how the Data Science Unit is using computer vision (a type of AI that works with images) to do this.