In the largest central European area of closed forest, Bavarian Forest and Sumava National Parks, satellite imaging helps monitor vegetation change. The forest’s low variety in tree species makes it sensitive to changes in environmental conditions. We see spruce forest replaced by other species, for instance beech, at lower altitudes. At higher altitudes, mild winters create better living conditions for bark beetles, which have decimated conifer forests.
Satellite imaging now aids the park administration’s research and ecosystem management. Satellites track changes in vegetation and shifts in dominant plant species, and link habitat characteristics to terrain type. At the same time park administrators are researching tree regeneration and the impact of global warming on future developments.
“Ecopotential is contributing to innovative and knowledge-based ecosystem management. This is essential to protect the services provided by our environment, such as storing carbon and protecting biodiversity”,” said Kurt Vandenberghe, Director of Policy Development and Coordination at DG research and Innovation. He underlined the importance of the Ecopotential project, saying “the innovations and work done in Ecopotential shows that investment in Copernicus and Horizon 2020 is highly valuable for both nature and society.”
Ecopotential is an EU Horizon 2020 project that helps monitor, understand and predict ecosystem change. It develops pilot projects in internationally recognized Protected Areas and combines continent-level monitoring with specific local challenges. Ecopotential’s has a conceptual view of ecosystems as “one physical system”. Together with the European Parliament, UN Environment, GRID-Arendal and Italy’s National Research Council they will present the protected areas. The presentations are a combination of satellite images, photos, and stories from managers of the protected areas.
Modern satellites with a range of sensors provide new and valuable perspectives on our planet. These perspectives allow us to understand large-scale changes in our environment and how to best protect it. The satellites record electromagnetic energy reflected or emitted by objects on earth’s surface. This allows us to see more of reality at an unprecedented scale and level of detail and also monitor changes in agriculture or natural vegetation. The monitoring, in turn, aids knowledge-based conservation, management and restoration of ecosystems.
The SPACED exhibition: Using Earth Observations to Protect Natural Landscapes, set to take place at the European Parliament in Brussels January 8-12, shows how this process works. The exhibition displays practical examples of how satellites are used for ecosystem management in the protected areas in Europe, Israel and South Africa. A total of 23 protected areas are part of the exhibition. Monika Hohlmeier, MEP European Parliament hosts the exhibition.
It covers areas all over Europe, from Italy in the South to Sweden in the north and from Russia in the east to France in the west. Each area is presented with explanations of their ecological problems and ways to deal with them.
In the Spanish Doñana National Park, satellites support traditional bird observation techniques to explain how bird occurrence relates to wetland features. Satellites monitor flooding and seasonal variations to provide contextual information about the ecosystems the birds inhabit. On La Palma, invasive species and forest fires threaten indigenous animals. The Ecopotential project makes it possible to study ecosystem health and change over time.
Felix Medina from Cabildo de la Palma has underlined the threats La Palma’s unique ecosystem faces. “Invasive species and forest fires are threatening the islands ecosystem. Ecopotential and the use of Remote Sensing tools have allowed us to better understand the spread of species and forest fires, which is important to conserve our unique ecosystems.”
Other examples include Abisko national park in northern Sweden, where satellite imaging help scientists answer how climate change is affecting the treeline. Along the Danube in Romania and Ukraine satellites help investigate water quality by establishing chlorophyll levels and turbidity. Through satellite imaging, scientists can measure the threat posed to native species by invasive ones, and the frequency of wildfires.
Satellite imaging can also be used to understand past environments. We use data obtained through satellites imaging to improve our models, which can be applied backwards in time. Better images can also show us the remnants of past environments. For instance, we are studying dried up river beds and ancient irrigation channels in Sierra Nevada, Spain.
Kurt Vandenberghe, Antonello Provenzale from the National Research Council of Italy, and Felix Medina will give the opening address.
For more information about Ecopotential, see: https://bitly.im/cVGS2
