Satellite-based hyperspectral imaging and cartographic visualization of bark beetle forest damage for the city of Čabar

After enormous amount of ice rain during 2014 huge damage was done in forests in Croatia, especially in the city of Čabar area. Damage of forests is reflected in wide spread of bark beetle. Bark beetle damaged forest have different spectral range from healthy forest. Copernicus satellite land monitoring imagery enables distinguishing healthy from unhealthy forest. In this paper, the width of bark beetle infection spread in forests in the city of Čabar area using satellite images and semi-automatic classification will be determined

Remote Sensing Applications in Monitoring of Protected Areas

Protected areas (PAs) have been established worldwide for achieving long-term goals in the conservation of nature with the associated ecosystem services and cultural values. Globally, 15% of the world’s terrestrial lands and inland waters, excluding Antarctica, are designated as PAs. About 4.12% of the global ocean and 10.2% of coastal and marine areas under national jurisdiction are set as marine protected areas (MPAs). Protected lands and waters serve as the fundamental building blocks of virtually all national and international conservation strategies, supported by governments and international institutions. Some of the PAs are the only places that contain undisturbed landscape, seascape and ecosystems on the planet Earth. With intensified impacts from climate and environmental change, PAs have become more important to serve as indicators of ecosystem status and functions. Earth’s remaining wilderness areas are becoming increasingly important buffers against changing conditions. The development of remote sensing platforms and sensors and the improvement in science and technology provide crucial support for the monitoring and management of PAs across the world. In this editorial paper, we reviewed research developments using state-of-the-art remote sensing technologies, discussed the challenges of remote sensing applications in the inventory, monitoring, management and governance of PAs and summarized the highlights of the articles published in this Special Issue

Integrated Applications of Geo-Information in Environmental Monitoring

This book focuses on fundamental and applied research on geo-information technology, notably optical and radar remote sensing and algorithm improvements, and their applications in environmental monitoring. This Special Issue presents ten high-quality research papers covering up-to-date research in land cover change and desertification analyses, geo-disaster risk and damage evaluation, mining area restoration assessments, the improvement and development of algorithms, and coastal environmental monitoring and object targeting. The purpose of this Special Issue is to promote exchanges, communications and share the research outcomes of scientists worldwide and to bridge the gap between scientific research and its applications for advancing and improving society

Book of short Abstracts of the 11th International Symposium on Digital Earth

The Booklet is a collection of accepted short abstracts of the ISDE11 Symposium

Remote Sensing of the Aquatic Environments

The book highlights recent research efforts in the monitoring of aquatic districts with remote sensing observations and proximal sensing technology integrated with laboratory measurements. Optical satellite imagery gathered at spatial resolutions down to few meters has been used for quantitative estimations of harmful algal bloom extent and Chl-a mapping, as well as winds and currents from SAR acquisitions. The knowledge and understanding gained from this book can be used for the sustainable management of bodies of water across our planet

Remote Sensing in Mangroves

The book highlights recent advancements in the mapping and monitoring of mangrove forests using earth observation satellite data. New and historical satellite data and aerial photographs have been used to map the extent, change and bio-physical parameters, such as phenology and biomass. Research was conducted in different parts of the world. Knowledge and understanding gained from this book can be used for the sustainable management of mangrove forests of the worl

Estimation of Satellite Derived Flood Area and Volumes to Monitor Environmental Watering Events

Wetlands are significant repositories of biological diversity and play an essential role in maintaining ecosystem services. The Macquarie Marshes in northern New South Wales is one of those significant wetlands recognised for its rich biodiversity and ecology. The Macquarie Marshes experienced extensive flooding events, especially in 2016-17 due to an increase in the water flow in Macquarie River related to a strong La Niña climate cycle. The area has also experienced drought conditions when there is insufficient water flowing in the river or due to the diversion of water to irrigated lands. Mapping the inundation patterns of the Macquarie Marshes is essential for understanding the impacts of climate variability on these important ecosystems. The study analysed 28 Sentinel-1 and 47 Sentinel-2 images covering the La Niña year 2022. The Sentinel-1 images were pre-processed and co-registered to delineate water. For mapping water bodies using Sentinel-2, multiple water detection algorithms were used to quantify flooded areas based on the Sentinel 2 satellite data. Flooded areas obtained using different water indices were compared with the river discharge at several gauge stations located at different reaches of the Macquarie River. Overall, the Fisher’s Water Index (WI) gave the best results relative to PlanetScope verification data, but all Sentinel 2 methods indicated some underestimation of overall water areas. Sentinel 1 appeared to strongly overestimate the flooded area. Therefore, the final step fuses the Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data, using a layer-stacking technique; the random forest (RF) classifier was then applied to predict flooded areas using the Water Index (WI), other satellite variables and environmental variables related to slope, depressions, land use and rainfall. Finally, floodwater depth of the water inundated using the RF model was calculated using a 5m resolution LiDAR DEM dataset

Remote sensing technology applications in forestry and REDD+

Advances in close-range and remote sensing technologies are driving innovations in forest resource assessments and monitoring on varying scales. Data acquired with airborne and spaceborne platforms provide high(er) spatial resolution, more frequent coverage, and more spectral information. Recent developments in ground-based sensors have advanced 3D measurements, low-cost permanent systems, and community-based monitoring of forests. The UNFCCC REDD+ mechanism has advanced the remote sensing community and the development of forest geospatial products that can be used by countries for the international reporting and national forest monitoring. However, an urgent need remains to better understand the options and limitations of remote and close-range sensing techniques in the field of forest degradation and forest change. Therefore, we invite scientists working on remote sensing technologies, close-range sensing, and field data to contribute to this Special Issue. Topics of interest include: (1) novel remote sensing applications that can meet the needs of forest resource information and REDD+ MRV, (2) case studies of applying remote sensing data for REDD+ MRV, (3) timeseries algorithms and methodologies for forest resource assessment on different spatial scales varying from the tree to the national level, and (4) novel close-range sensing applications that can support sustainable forestry and REDD+ MRV. We particularly welcome submissions on data fusion

Spatial and temporal variations of inundation and their influence on ecosystem services from a shallow coastal lake. A case study of Soetendalsvlei in the Nuwejaars catchment, South Africa

Philosophiae Doctor - PhDEnhancing our understanding of wetland properties and the ecosystem services provided by wetlands within a dynamic landscape, is fundamental to ensuring appropriate management strategies for enhanced biodiversity and ecosystem benefits. With increased anthropogenic activities and the impacts of climatic variability, a better understanding of the factors influencing the water balance dynamics of wetlands can provide insight into how wetlands respond to change. The main aim of the research was to improve the understanding of the spatial and temporal availability of water and storage of a depression wetland in a semi-arid climate, and to relate these to ecosystem functions. As ecosystems are intricately connected to society, a secondary aim of the research was to gain insight to how wetland ecosystems, within a changing climate and landscape, provide benefits to society, and add value to human-wellbeing. Soetendalsvlei, a shallow freshwater depression, and one of the few coastal freshwater lakes of South Africa, was the focus of the research

Artificial Neural Networks in Agriculture

Modern agriculture needs to have high production efficiency combined with a high quality of obtained products. This applies to both crop and livestock production. To meet these requirements, advanced methods of data analysis are more and more frequently used, including those derived from artificial intelligence methods. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are one of the most popular tools of this kind. They are widely used in solving various classification and prediction tasks, for some time also in the broadly defined field of agriculture. They can form part of precision farming and decision support systems. Artificial neural networks can replace the classical methods of modelling many issues, and are one of the main alternatives to classical mathematical models. The spectrum of applications of artificial neural networks is very wide. For a long time now, researchers from all over the world have been using these tools to support agricultural production, making it more efficient and providing the highest-quality products possible