| Context | |
A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
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Caring for the planet’s welfare Human activities are increasingly influencing the dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems and causing dramatic changes in land cover and use. This has far-reaching consequences for biodiversity, climate and food production worldwide. It was to better identify these problems with a view to promoting a healthier and more secure planet that GMES was set up. GMES stands for “Global Monitoring for Environment and Security” and is a joint initiative of ESA (European Space Agency) and the European Commission. It aims to collect continuous data on our changing planet for processing into information that can be readily used by policy bodies and other users. To this end, low resolution Earth observation satellites take daily readings of the entire Earth’s surface, thereby providing an important source of information. However, to be sure that the information furnished is reliable, a better understanding of the processes at work in the terrestrial ecosystems is essential. |
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| Mapping global changes in land cover | |
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Three Belgian research organizations pooled their complementary expertise within a consortium to carry out an in-depth study of dynamic terrestrial ecosystems with the aid of Earth observation. This research aimed to help defi ne products and services in the framework of GMES. Low resolution datasets obtained by various sensors were combined to produce a unique high quality long-term time series [1985- 2005] of data with which to analyse trends in land use and land cover. By developing specifi c indexes it was possible to detect seasonal and annual land cover changes. In addition, the risk of fi re and the recovery potential of vegetation were assessed in the savannah regions of Southern Africa, these are factors with a major impact on CO2 levels in the atmosphere. The ability to estimate the plant production of forests and major crops was also improved, partly by taking into account plant evaporation and limits in water availability. This quantitative approach is resulting in a better understanding of global vegetation dynamics and consequently in a more effective policy. |
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| Objective | |
The project aims to arrive at a better understanding of terrestrial ecosystems dynamics by: |