Introduction: Why ecologists and conservation biologists use remote sensing

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ned Horning ◽  
Julie A. Robinson ◽  
Eleanor J. Sterling ◽  
Woody Turner ◽  
Sacha Spector
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Conservation Biology ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Broad Array ◽  
Definition Of

This chapter addresses a question that we hope occurs to many ecologists and conservation biologists: How can remotely sensed data and methods support the conservation of biological diversity? We highlight the contributions remote sensing technologies make toward advancing our understanding of Earth and its varied biomes. You can use this information for applications ranging from researching habitat use by species to making decisions on how best to manage a protected area. The chapter starts off with an overview of the motivation behind this book and a description of the intended audience. We present a broad array of applications of remote sensing technologies in the field of conservation biology and conclude with a brief summary of the remaining chapters of this book. Our overarching goal in publishing this book is to increase awareness about, and use of, remotely sensed data and methods in conservation biology and ecology. The objective of this book is to make remote sensing tools accessible so that ecologists and conservation biologists can assess the tools they need, have enough information to recognize effective uses and abuses of remote sensing, and know when to try to use the tools themselves versus when to solicit help from others. The broadest definition of remote sensing refers to measuring a particular quality (such as the intensity of light reflected) of a feature without being in physical contact with the feature itself. The magnitude of objects observed can range from the microscopic to the astronomic. In this book, however, we will limit our definition of remote sensing to measurements acquired from either airborne or orbiting platforms, with the features of interest located on or just above the surface of the Earth. Furthermore, we will focus primarily on remotely sensed data recorded in an image format since these are the data most commonly used in biodiversity conservation applications. Conservation biology has grown from local and regional studies of single species into a discipline concerned with the complex interactions of species and their environment at global, regional, and local scales as well as across scales.

Remote Sensing for Ecology and Conservation

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ned Horning ◽  
Julie A. Robinson ◽  
Eleanor J. Sterling ◽  
Woody Turner ◽  
Sacha Spector
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Conservation Biology ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Aerial Imaging

The work of conservation biology has grown from local studies of single species into a discipline concerned with mapping and managing biodiversity on a global scale. Remote sensing, using satellite and aerial imaging to measure and map the environment, increasingly provides a vital tool for effective collection of the information needed to research and set policy for conservation priorities. The perceived complexities of remotely sensed data and analyses have tended to discourage scientists and managers from using this valuable resource. This text focuses on making remote sensing tools accessible to a larger audience of non-specialists, highlighting strengths and limitations while emphasizing the ways that remotely sensed data can be captured and used, especially for evaluating human impacts on ecological systems.

THE ROLE OF REMOTE SENSING DATA FOR COASTAL ZONE MONITIORING AND MANAGEMENT (CASE STUDY FOR THE EAST PART OF GULF OF FINLAND)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikifor Ostanin ◽  
Nikifor Ostanin
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Coastal Zone ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Water Environment ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Gulf Of Finland ◽  
Coastal Protection ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data

Coastal zone of the Eastern Gulf of Finland is subjected to essential natural and anthropogenic impact. The processes of abrasion and accumulation are predominant. While some coastal protection structures are old and ruined the problem of monitoring and coastal management is actual. Remotely sensed data is important component of geospatial information for coastal environment research. Rapid development of modern satellite remote sensing techniques and data processing algorithms made this data essential for monitoring and management. Multispectral imagers of modern high resolution satellites make it possible to produce advanced image processing, such as relative water depths estimation, sea-bottom classification and detection of changes in shallow water environment. In the framework of the project of development of new coast protection plan for the Kurortny District of St.-Petersburg a series of archival and modern satellite images were collected and analyzed. As a result several schemes of underwater parts of coastal zone and schemes of relative bathymetry for the key areas were produced. The comparative analysis of multi-temporal images allow us to reveal trends of environmental changes in the study areas. This information, compared with field observations, shows that remotely sensed data is useful and efficient for geospatial planning and development of new coast protection scheme.

scholarly journals GIS and Remote Sensing Application in Water Management in Agriculture Field

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sassi Mohamed Taher
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Gis And Remote Sensing ◽  
Practical Applications

This document is meant to demonstrate the potential uses of remote sensing in managing water resources for irrigated agriculture and to create awareness among potential users. Researchers in various international programs have studied the potential use of remotely sensed data to obtain accurate information on land surface processes and conditions. These studies have demonstrated that quantitative assessment of the soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer processes can lead to a better understanding of the relationships between crop growth and water management. Remote sensing and GIS was used to map the agriculture area and for detect the change. This was very useful for mapping availability and need of water resources but the problem was concentrating in data collection and analysis because this kind of information and expertise are not available in all country in the world mainly in the developing and under developed country or third world country. However, even though considerable progress has been made over the past 20 years in research applications, remotely sensed data remain underutilized by practicing water resource managers. This paper seeks to bridge the gap between researchers and practitioners first, by illustrating where research tools and techniques have practical applications and, second, by identifying real problems that remote sensing could solve. An important challenge in the field of water resources is to utilize the timely, objective and accurate information provided by remote sensing.

scholarly journals Remote Sensing of Boreal Wetlands 1: Data Use for Policy and Management

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Chasmer ◽  
Danielle Cobbaert ◽  
Craig Mahoney ◽  
Koreen Millard ◽  
Daniel Peters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Ramsar Convention ◽  
Canadian Perspective ◽  
History Of ◽  
Wetland Inventory ◽  
Monitoring And Measurement ◽  
Underlying Processes

Wetlands have and continue to undergo rapid environmental and anthropogenic modification and change to their extent, condition, and therefore, ecosystem services. In this first part of a two-part review, we provide decision-makers with an overview on the use of remote sensing technologies for the ‘wise use of wetlands’, following Ramsar Convention protocols. The objectives of this review are to provide: (1) a synthesis of the history of remote sensing of wetlands, (2) a feasibility study to quantify the accuracy of remotely sensed data products when compared with field data based on 286 comparisons found in the literature from 209 articles, (3) recommendations for best approaches based on case studies, and (4) a decision tree to assist users and policymakers at numerous governmental levels and industrial agencies to identify optimal remote sensing approaches based on needs, feasibility, and cost. We argue that in order for remote sensing approaches to be adopted by wetland scientists, land-use managers, and policymakers, there is a need for greater understanding of the use of remote sensing for wetland inventory, condition, and underlying processes at scales relevant for management and policy decisions. The literature review focuses on boreal wetlands primarily from a Canadian perspective, but the results are broadly applicable to policymakers and wetland scientists globally, providing knowledge on how to best incorporate remotely sensed data into their monitoring and measurement procedures. This is the first review quantifying the accuracy and feasibility of remotely sensed data and data combinations needed for monitoring and assessment. These include, baseline classification for wetland inventory, monitoring through time, and prediction of ecosystem processes from individual wetlands to a national scale.

scholarly journals Remote Sensing Approaches and Related Techniques to Map and Study Landslides

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ram L. Ray ◽  
Maurizio Lazzari ◽  
Tolulope Olutimehin
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Hazard Assessment ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Landslide Monitoring ◽  
In Situ Observation ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Sensing Data ◽  
Stability Model

Landslide is one of the costliest and fatal geological hazards, threatening and influencing the socioeconomic conditions in many countries globally. Remote sensing approaches are widely used in landslide studies. Landslide threats can also be investigated through slope stability model, susceptibility mapping, hazard assessment, risk analysis, and other methods. Although it is possible to conduct landslide studies using in-situ observation, it is time-consuming, expensive, and sometimes challenging to collect data at inaccessible terrains. Remote sensing data can be used in landslide monitoring, mapping, hazard prediction and assessment, and other investigations. The primary goal of this chapter is to review the existing remote sensing approaches and techniques used to study landslides and explore the possibilities of potential remote sensing tools that can effectively be used in landslide studies in the future. This chapter also provides critical and comprehensive reviews of landslide studies focus¬ing on the role played by remote sensing data and approaches in landslide hazard assessment. Further, the reviews discuss the application of remotely sensed products for landslide detection, mapping, prediction, and evaluation around the world. This systematic review may contribute to better understanding the extensive use of remotely sensed data and spatial analysis techniques to conduct landslide studies at a range of scales.

scholarly journals Mapping Dragon Fruit Croplands from Space Using Remote Sensing of Artificial Light at Night

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 4139
Author(s):  
Ruirui Wang ◽  
Wei Shi ◽  
Pinliang Dong
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Infrared Imaging ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Artificial Lighting ◽  
Sensing Data ◽  
Dragon Fruit ◽  
Positive Correlations

The nighttime light (NTL) on the surface of Earth is an important indicator for the human transformation of the world. NTL remotely sensed data have been widely used in urban development, population estimation, economic activity, resource development and other fields. With the increasing use of artificial lighting technology in agriculture, it has become possible to use NTL remote sensing data for monitoring agricultural activities. In this study, National Polar Partnership (NPP)-Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) NTL remote sensing data were used to observe the seasonal variation of artificial lighting in dragon fruit cropland in Binh Thuan Province, Vietnam. Compared with the statistics of planted area, area having products and production of dragon fruit by district in the Statistical Yearbook of Binh Thuan Province 2018, values of the mean and standard deviation of NTL brightness have significant positive correlations with the statistical data. The results suggest that the NTL remotely sensed data could be used to reveal some agricultural productive activities such as dragon fruits production accurately by monitoring the seasonal artificial lighting. This research demonstrates the application potential of NTL remotely sensed data in agriculture.

scholarly journals Investigation of surface area of lakes and marshes from satellite images by using remote sensing and geographic information system integration in Iraq

2018 ◽  
Vol 162 ◽  
pp. 03016
Author(s):  
Alaa Dawood ◽  
Yousif Kalaf ◽  
Nagham Abdulateef ◽  
Mohammed Falih
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
System Integration ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Total Surface Area ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Surface Areas ◽  
Water Volumes

Water level and distribution is very essential in almost all life aspects. Natural and artificial lakes represent a large percentage of these water bodies in Iraq. In this research the changes in water levels are observed by calculating the areas of five different lakes in five different regions and two different marshes in two different regions of the country, in a period of 12 years (2001 - 2012), archived remotely sensed images were used to determine surface areas around lakes and marshes in Iraq for the chosen years . Level of the lakes corresponding to satellite determined surface areas were retrieved from remotely sensed data .These data were collected to give explanations on lake level and surface area fluctuations. It is important to determine these areas at different water levels to know areas which are being flooded in addition to the total area inundated .The behavior of hydrological regime of these lakes during the period was assessed using an integration of remote sensing and GIS techniques which found that the total surface area of the lakes had diminished and their water volumes reduced. The study further revealed that the levels of the lakes surfaces had lowered through these years.

scholarly journals Remote Sensing Support for the Gain-Loss Approach for Greenhouse Gas Inventories

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald E. McRoberts ◽  
Erik Næsset ◽  
Christophe Sannier ◽  
Stephen V. Stehman ◽  
Erkki O. Tomppo
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Inventories ◽  
Gain Loss

For tropical countries that do not have extensive ground sampling programs such as national forest inventories, the gain-loss approach for greenhouse gas inventories is often used. With the gain-loss approach, emissions and removals are estimated as the product of activity data defined as the areas of human-caused emissions and removals and emissions factors defined as the per unit area responses of carbon stocks for those activities. Remotely sensed imagery and remote sensing-based land use and land use change maps have emerged as crucial information sources for facilitating the statistically rigorous estimation of activity data. Similarly, remote sensing-based biomass maps have been used as sources of auxiliary data for enhancing estimates of emissions and removals factors and as sources of biomass data for remote and inaccessible regions. The current status of statistically rigorous methods for combining ground and remotely sensed data that comply with the good practice guidelines for greenhouse gas inventories of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is reviewed.

A primer on mapping vegetation using remote sensing

2001 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Bobbe ◽  
Henry Lachowski ◽  
Paul Maus ◽  
Jerry Greer ◽  
Chuck Dull
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Vegetation Mapping ◽  
Project Planning ◽  
Gis Mapping ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Geospatial Information ◽  
Ecological Principles ◽  
Vegetation Maps ◽  
Key Steps

This paper was presented at the conference ‘Integrating spatial technologies and ecological principles for a new age in fire management’, Boise, Idaho, USA, June 1999 The use of information based upon remotely sensed data is a central factor in our 21st Century society. Scientists in land management agencies especially require accurate and current geospatial information to effectively implement ecosystem management. The increasing need to collect data across diverse landscapes, scales, and ownerships has resulted in a wider application of remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and associated geospatial technologies for natural resource applications. This paper summarizes the use of digital remotely sensed data for vegetation mapping. Key steps in preparing vegetation maps are described. These steps include defining project requirements and classification schemes, use of reference data, classification procedures, and assessing accuracy. The role of field personnel and inventory data is described. Case studies and applications of vegetation mapping on national forest land are also included. remote sensing, GIS, mapping, geospatial, project planning.

Geostatistics and remote sensing

1998 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J. Curran ◽  
Peter M. Atkinson
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Conditional Simulation ◽  
Image Data ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Sampling Schemes ◽  
Optimum Sampling ◽  
Design Optimum

In geostatistics, spatial autocorrelation is utilized to estimate optimally local values from data sampled elsewhere. The powerful synergy between geostatistics and remote sensing went unrealized until the 1980s. Today geostatistics are used to explore and describe spatial variation in remotely sensed and ground data; to design optimum sampling schemes for image data and ground data; and to increase the accuracy with which remotely sensed data can be used to classify land cover or estimate continuous variables. This article introduces these applications and uses two examples to highlight characteristics that are common to them all. The article concludes with a discussion of conditional simulation as a novel geostatistical technique for use in remote sensing.

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