About Arbos

Organizational History

Arbos is an independent consulting practice founded in 2004 by Dr. Peter W. Tittmann, specializing in forestry, ethical real assets management finance, and geospatial analytics. Arbos originated through partnerships with small businesses and community forestry organizations in rural Northern California on forest management, wildfire mitigation, and local wood procurement.

Key milestones include conducting national-scale analysis of forest carbon offset opportunities across the United States, and co-authoring the “VCS Tool for measuring above-ground live forest biomass using remote sensing,” approved by Verified Carbon Standard in 2015.

Arbos has developed multiple LiDAR-based methodologies for precision timber inventory, established technical foundations for modern forest carbon markets, and led design of the Sacramento River watershed geographic data library.

The consultancy bridges academic research and commercial application, translating remote sensing technology into practical tools for sustainable forest management, wildfire risk assessment, and climate investment decision-making. Arbos combines rigorous scientific methodology with real-world experience, having supported over $500M in climate and timberland investments.

Leadership

Dr. Peter W. Tittmann

Dr. Tittmann is a geographer with 15+ years of experience leading multidisciplinary teams in forestry, energy, and carbon markets. He specializes in developing integrated methodologies that combine geodata, remote sensing, and optimization modeling for sustainable forest management and climate investment decision-making.

Current Role: Senior Sustainable Biomass Scientist at Carbon Direct, conducting technical reviews of biomass-based carbon dioxide removal projects globally.

Education:

  • Ph.D. in Geography, University of California, Davis (2011)
    • Dissertation: “Aerial Laser Scanning: Applications for Forest Biomass Management”
  • Business Development Fellowship, UC Davis Graduate School of Management (2010-2011)
  • B.A. in Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz (1999)

Key Contributions:

  • Chair of W3C Community Group creating Biomass Open Origin Standard for Tracking (BOOST)
  • Author of VCS methodology for measuring forest biomass using remote sensing
  • Published 30+ peer-reviewed publications on forest biomass, remote sensing, and supply chain optimization
  • Led analytics team supporting $500M+ in timberland investments through sophisticated financial modeling

View full CV and personal site →

Advisory Board

Arbos works with distinguished advisors bringing expertise in forestry, fire management, economics, and carbon markets:

  • Tim Robards, PhD - President, TYLD Corp | Former CAL FIRE | Timothy Robards moved to the private sector after 20 years with the organization now known as CAL FIRE. After three years as a partner with a consulting firm and five at an Austrailia-based TIMO, he started TYLD Corp to provide forestry consulting for forestry and nut orchard management. Over the course of his career, he has raised capital, worked on timberland acquisitions, and developed carbon offset projects on over a million acres in the United States. He has an MA in Forest Biometrics and a PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from UC Berkeley.
  • Tad Mason - CEO, TSS Consultants | 43+ years in natural resources management and biomass utilization
  • Bruce Goines - Retired U.S. Forest Service | Fire management specialist with 40+ years experience
  • Matthew D. Potts, PhD - S.J. Hall Chair in Forestry Economics, UC Berkeley | Chief Science Officer, Carbon Direct
  • John Nickerson - Owner, Dogwood Springs Forestry | California Registered Professional Forester | Former VP Forestry, Climate Action Reserve

Our Approach

Arbos provides independent, science-based analysis combining:

We apply Academic Rigor through advanced methodologies rooted in peer-reviewed research, complemented by Commercial Expertise drawn from practical experience in operational forestry and investment analytics. Our approach emphasizes Cross-Disciplinary Integration, synthesizing remote sensing, economics, operations research, and forest science. We demonstrate leadership in Standards Development by creating frameworks for transparency and quality assurance, while facilitating Technology Transfer that translates research innovations into scalable solutions.

Core Competencies

Climate & Carbon Markets

Deep expertise in biomass-based carbon dioxide removal (BiCRS), afforestation/reforestation/restoration, forest carbon offset development, verification methodologies, and MRV system implementation.

Geospatial Analytics & Remote Sensing

Pioneering research in LiDAR technology for forest biomass management, operationalization of machine learning for forest measurement, spatial modeling, and advanced GIS implementation.

Investment Analytics

Portfolio management, due diligence, valuation frameworks, and risk assessment for timberland and climate investments using multi-objective optimization.

Technical Leadership

Management of cross-functional teams, research program management, stakeholder engagement, and technology commercialization.

Why Work with Arbos

  • Proven Track Record: Internationally recognized methodologies adopted for carbon credit verification
  • Research Excellence: 30+ peer-reviewed publications bridging theory and practice
  • Investment Impact: Experience supporting major institutional climate investments
  • Innovation Leadership: Chair of international standards development for biomass tracking
  • Technical Depth: PhD-level expertise combined with commercial operations experience