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Earth Observation data are uniquely positioned to estimate forest aboveground biomass density (AGBD) in accordance with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) principles of ‘transparency, accuracy, completeness, consistency and comparability’. However, the use of space-based AGBD maps for national-level reporting to the UNFCCC is nearly non-existent as of 2023, the end of the first global stocktake (GST). We conduct an evidence-based comparison of AGBD estimates from the NASA Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation and ESA Climate Change Initiative, describing differences between the products and National Forest Inventories (NFIs), and suggesting how science teams must align efforts to inform the next GST. Between the products, in the tropics, the largest differences in estimated AGBD are primarily in the Congolese lowlands and east/southeast Asia. Where NFI data were acquired (Peru, Mexico, Lao PDR and 30 regions of Spain), both products show strong correlation to NFI-estimated AGBD, with no systematic deviations. The AGBD-richest stratum of these, the Peruvian Amazon, is accurately estimated in both. These results are remarkably promising, and to support the operational use of AGB map products for policy reporting, we describe targeted ways to align products with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines. We recommend moving towards consistent statistical terminology, and aligning on a rigorous framework for uncertainty estimation, supported by the provision of open-science codes for large-area assessments that comprehensively report uncertainty. Further, we suggest the provision of objective and open-source guidance to integrate NFIs with multiple AGBD products, aiming to enhance the precision of national estimates. Finally, we describe and encourage the release of user-friendly product documentation, with tools that produce AGBD estimates directly applicable to the IPCC guideline methodologies. With these steps, spac

Key message: Despite showing a cost-effective potential for quantifying vertical forest structure, the GEDI and ICESat-2 satellite LiDAR missions fall short of the data accuracy standards required by tree- and stand-level forest inventories. Abstract: Tree and stand heights are key inventory variables in forestry, but measuring them manually is time-consuming for large forestlands. For that reason, researchers have traditionally used terrestrial and aerial remote sensing systems to retrieve forest height information. Recent developments in sensor technology have made it possible for spaceborne LiDAR systems to collect height data. However, there is still a knowledge gap regarding the utility and reliability of these data in varying forest structures. The present study aims to assess the accuracies of dominant stand heights retrieved by GEDI and ICESat-2 satellites. To that end, we used stand-type maps and field-measured inventory data from forest management plans as references. Additionally, we developed convolutional neural network (CNN) models to improve the data accuracy of raw LiDAR metrics. The results showed that GEDI generally underestimated dominant heights (RMSE = 3.06 m, %RMSE = 21.80%), whereas ICESat-2 overestimated them (RMSE = 4.02 m, %RMSE = 30.76%). Accuracy decreased further as the slope increased, particularly for ICESat-2 data. Nonetheless, using CNN models, we improved estimation accuracies to some extent (%RMSEs = 20.12% and 19.75% for GEDI and ICESat-2). In terms of forest structure, GEDI performed better in fully-covered stands than in sparsely-covered forests. This is attributable to the smaller height differences between canopy tops in dense forest conditions. ICESat-2, on the other hand, performed better in thin forests (DBH < 20 cm) than in large-girth and mature stands of Crimean pine. We conclude that GEDI and ICESat-2 missions, particularly in hilly landscapes, rarely achieve the standards needed in stand-level forest inventories, Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public., Optical and Laser Remote Sensing