The Full Picture

diversity) model combination, which supports the assessment of biodi-

versity at regional scales (Kooistra et al., 2007).

Conclusions

Increasingly, Earth observation data and products are used to assess

biodiversity from space. Since large-scale spectral, spatial and tempo-

ral high-resolution instruments have become available,

significant advances have been made in contributing to

the structured monitoring of biodiversity from space.

However, due to inherent observational limitations,

scaling gaps need to be bridged in all of the above

domains.

Disaggregation and reaggregation combined with

evidential reasoning at continental scale and radiative

transfer based inversion methods at regional scale, are

just two examples indicating the increasing applicability

of remote sensing in the structural assessment and moni-

toring of biodiversity. Sound forecasting methods of

biodiversity trends in the future will not only rely on the

above methods, but also increasingly include temporal

information and data assimilation based methods.

Infrastructure access such as defined in GEOSS in combi-

nation with structured biodiversity observation networks

will facilitate the operational monitoring and forecasting

with latest technology achievements and scientific

methods.

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Spatial distribution of the habitat ‘Calcareous Beech Forest’

in various probability classes

Source: Mücher et al., 2005

Vegetation mapping data

Source: Karle Sykora, WUR

Mapping approaches compared

The results of two methods, classical vegetation sampling as well as the

spectral unmixing approach. The unmixed abundance of Rubus sp. corresponds

much more to the actual average impression of the test site, rather than the

effective floristic diversity, due to sparse spatial distribution of these species

Net Primary Productivity (NPP) estimates using advanced remote

sensing methods (top) and potential floristic diversity as predicted

by a combination of dynamic vegetation models (bottom)

Source: Schaepman, M.E., Wamelink, G.W.W., van Dobben, H., Gloor, M., Schaepman-

Strub, G., Kooistra, L., Clevers, J.G.P.W., Schmidt, A., & Berendse, F.

OCIETAL

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IODIVERSITY