Call for Session Proposals

Proposal Submission Closes: June 30, 2025

The ForestSAT 2026 Program Committee invites the submission of proposals for Special Sessions, designed to foster focused discussions on emerging topics and cutting-edge research in forestry, ecology, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and geospatial technologies. These sessions will provide a platform for researchers, practitioners, industry leaders, and stakeholders to delve deeper into innovative methodologies, applications, and collaborations shaping the future of forest science and management.

Session Details:

ForestSAT 2026 will feature sessions that are 90-minutes long. The format consists of a five-minute session introduction and overview by the moderator, followed by four consecutive 15-minute talks around a cohesive theme (15 minutes/talk + 25 minutes session Q&A.)

Session Proposal Topics of Interest:

Advances in Remote Sensing Technologies

• New tools, sensors, and data processing techniques for forestry applications.
• Method development and innovations in ALS, TLS, and spaceborne LiDAR.
• Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) techniques for forest structure and biomass estimation.
• Innovations in multispectral and hyperspectral sensors.
• High-resolution and commercial satellite data for forest applications.

Artificial Intelligence in Forest Research and Management

• Machine learning, deep learning, and AI-driven analytics for forest monitoring and management.

Geospatial Innovations

• Applications of GIS, UAVs, and satellite technologies in forest mapping and conservation.

Carbon and Biomass Estimation

• Techniques to measure, monitor, and model carbon storage and biomass.
• Advances in large-area mapping techniques for forest assessment and management.

Climate Change Impacts

• Assessing and mitigating the effects of climate change on forests.

Biodiversity and Habitat Monitoring

• Leveraging remote sensing to assess forest biodiversity and habitats.

Forest Health and Disease Detection

• Tools and methods for detecting and managing forest health risks.

Emerging Trends in Forest Management

• Innovative approaches to sustainable forestry and conservation.

Near Real-Time Monitoring of Forests

• Technologies and methodologies for real-time forest condition assessment and change detection.

Spaceborne Missions for Forest Science

• The role of new and upcoming satellite missions in forest monitoring and management.

Fire, Burned Area, and Fuel Load Mapping

• Techniques for assessing fire impacts, fuel loads, and fire risk management in forest landscapes.

Forest Disturbance, Recovery, and Resilience

• The impacts of fire, hurricanes, drought, and other disturbances on forests and their recovery trajectories.

Industrial Plantation Monitoring and Optimization

• Innovations in monitoring and optimizing the growth, yield, and sustainability of industrial plantation forests.

Agroforestry Applications

• Remote sensing and geospatial technologies for agroforestry systems.

Sampling and Statistical Inference in Forestry

• Advanced statistical approaches for forest monitoring and data analysis.

Sustainability Metrics for Forest-Based Industries

• Developing and applying metrics to measure and improve sustainability in forest industries.

Programming and Data Analysis for Forestry

• Software tools, programming languages, and computational methods for natural resources.

Open Science and Data Sharing

• Promoting reproducibility, transparency, and collaboration in forestry research.

Policy and Decision-Making Support

• Leveraging data and technologies to support decision-making for policymakers and industry stakeholders.

Stakeholder Engagement in Forest Management

• Strategies for effective collaboration between communities, governments, and industries in forest management.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria:

When developing your session theme and identifying colleagues to present in your session, keep these factors in mind:

• Proposals will be evaluated for relevance to the goals of the conference.
• Preference will be given to sessions that focus on emerging trends, are integrative and interdisciplinary, address pressing challenges in forestry, industrial plantations, and environmental management using innovative solutions, and are of interest to a broad audience.
• Additional criteria for evaluation include the potential for generating useful dialogue among attendees, originality, and potential to enrich the conference program.

All presentations will be live and in-person. This will not be a hybrid conference.

Session Organizers Are Expected to:

1. Serve as the primary contact for the session. We will communicate with one official representative per session, the session organizer.
2. Adhere to all published deadlines and proactively remind their speakers of key dates. Please visit our Key Dates and Deadlines page for the full list of deadlines.
3. Moderate the session. The Session Introduction is not considered a formal talk, so you do not need to submit an abstract for it.
4. Ensure speakers submit abstracts by October 31, 2025. After we verify all speakers have submitted abstracts, we will ask you to confirm the speaker order.
5. Confirm all session speakers are registered for the conference by January 16, 2026.

When Confirming Speakers, Make Sure They:

• Plan to attend the conference in person on the dates of May 4-8, 2026.
• Understand they must submit an abstract by October 31, 2025.
• Comply with the limit of one oral presentation per person. If approached by more than one session organizer, they may choose only one session. However, speakers may also present a poster if they wish.
• Understand they are required to register and pay to attend the conference by January 16, 2026.

(Registration fee details will be announced soon!)

Steps to Develop a Session Proposal:

1. Define the purpose, focus and overarching message of the proposed session, focusing on one of the conference themes listed on the Program Presentation Topics page.
2. Identify four colleagues who can commit to attend the conference if the session is approved. Speakers should represent a variety of affiliations, perspectives and expertise, as well as be demographically diverse.
3. Use the Session Proposal Template (.doc) to create a session proposal.
4. Submit your proposal via our online form by June 30, 2025. This deadline will not be extended.

Submit Proposal »

Please Note: We reserve the right not to accept proposed sessions if the space is limited, to cancel a session if an organizer is not able to adhere to the prescribed deadlines.