akar.earthCanopy cover: Definition
What is canopy cover? Definition, how it is measured from the ground, drones and satellites, and why it decides forest definitions for carbon and EUDR.
Canopy cover is the percentage of ground area covered by the vertical projection of tree crowns. A plot with 60% canopy cover would be 60% shaded if the sun were directly overhead. It is the main variable used to decide whether land counts as forest.
Why it matters
Forest definitions rest on canopy cover thresholds. The FAO definition, also used by the EUDR, requires more than 10% canopy cover on more than 0.5 ha, with trees able to reach 5 m. Carbon methodologies use canopy cover to check land eligibility (was this land forest within the last 10 years?), to map deforestation in REDD+ baselines, and to track ARR success. Our page on the EUDR forest definition explains the legal side.
How it is measured
- Field: densiometers, vertical photos or point-intercept sampling along transects in plots.
- Drones: high-resolution orthomosaics and canopy height models from drone photogrammetry map individual crowns.
- Satellites: optical imagery such as Sentinel-2 and Landsat feeds tree cover maps; see our Sentinel-2 guide. Lidar and GEDI add vertical structure.
Satellite products classify cover at their pixel size, so small gaps and isolated trees can be missed or exaggerated. Field or drone checks calibrate the maps.
Indonesia angle
Canopy cover is where EUDR and carbon questions overlap in Indonesia. Smallholder coffee, cocoa and rubber agroforestry can exceed 10% cover with tall shade trees, so whether a plot was “forest” on 31 December 2020 becomes a real question. Persistent cloud and haze make optical time series patchy, which pushes projects toward radar, drone checks and dense field data.
Common mistakes
- Treating a global tree cover map as legal proof of forest status.
- Confusing canopy cover with canopy closure (measured from one point looking up).
- Assuming high canopy cover means high biomass; young dense plantings can close canopy quickly with little carbon. Basal area helps here.
Related terms
See basal area, remote sensing and deforestation-free. The ARR hub shows how cover maps support eligibility and monitoring.
Frequently asked questions
What canopy cover makes land count as forest?
It depends on the definition. The FAO and EUDR use more than 10% canopy cover on more than 0.5 ha with trees able to reach 5 m. National definitions used for carbon projects can set different thresholds.
Is canopy cover the same as leaf area index?
No. Canopy cover is the share of ground covered by the vertical projection of crowns. Leaf area index measures total leaf area per unit ground area, which can exceed 1 many times over.