Loss of the redwoods in the western U.S. coastal forests is a typical situation. While current laws require reforestation of most of these lands, the rate of regrowth in some regions is not keeping pace with removal. The first two cover an area near Port Renfro on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, in part of the Pacific Coastal Ranges with fir, spruce, and some deciduous trees. This color scheme makes active vegetation green. Clearcutting of the mixed forest in the year or so before 1991 is in pinkish-red.
Mature vegetation is darker green and regenerated forest appears in light green.
Another way to carry out this change detection is to use two bands from one year and one band from the other year in making the color composite. Once again, mature forest is rendered in dark green and reforested land in light green but here pink denotes areas that were recently deforested in 1984 and blue refers to areas that were clearcut between 1984 and 1991 but have yet to make a strong recovery. We shift now to part of the boreal forestlands that are widespread on the Canadian Shield. The Riviere de Rupert and associated water offshoots appear in black. Try to pick out the power line running to the north.