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Satellite remote sensing of ecosystem functions: opportunities, challenges and way forward

Citation

Pettorelli, N and Schulte to Buhne, H and Tulloch, A and Dubois, G and Macinnis-Ng, C and Queiros, AM and Keith, DA and Wegmann, M and Schrodt, F and Stellmes, M and Sonnenschein, R and Geller, GN and Roy, S and Somers, B and Murray, N and Bland, L and Geijzendorffer, I and Kerr, JT and Broszeit, S and Leitao, PJ and Duncan, C and El Serafy, G and He, KS and Blanchard, JL and Lucas, R and Mairota, P and Webb, TJ and Nicholson, E, Satellite remote sensing of ecosystem functions: opportunities, challenges and way forward, Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, 4, (2) pp. 71-93. ISSN 2056-3485 (2018) [Refereed Article]


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Copyright 2017 The Authors. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

DOI: doi:10.1002/rse2.59

Abstract

Societal, economic and scientific interests in knowing where biodiversity is, how it is faring and what can be done to efficiently mitigate further biodiversity loss and the associated loss of ecosystem services are at an all-time high. So far, however, biodiversity monitoring has primarily focused on structural and compositional features of ecosystems despite growing evidence that ecosystem functions are key to elucidating the mechanisms through which biological diversity generates services to humanity. This monitoring gap can be traced to the current lack of consensus on what exactly ecosystem functions are and how to track them at scales beyond the site level. This contribution aims to advance the development of a global biodiversity monitoring strategy by proposing the adoption of a set of definitions and a typology for ecosystem functions, and reviewing current opportunities and potential limitations for satellite remote sensing technology to support the monitoring of ecosystem functions worldwide. By clearly defining ecosystem processes, functions and services and their interrelationships, we provide a framework to improve communication between ecologists, land and marine managers, remote sensing specialists and policy makers, thereby addressing a major barrier in the field.

Item Details

Item Type:Refereed Article
Keywords:biodiversity loss, biodiversity monitoring, ecosystem functions, ecosystem services, satellite remote sensing
Research Division:Biological Sciences
Research Group:Ecology
Research Field:Community ecology (excl. invasive species ecology)
Objective Division:Environmental Management
Objective Group:Management of Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments
Objective Field:Assessment and management of Antarctic and Southern Ocean ecosystems
UTAS Author:Blanchard, JL (Professor Julia Blanchard)
ID Code:120915
Year Published:2018 (online first 2017)
Web of Science® Times Cited:132
Deposited By:Ecology and Biodiversity
Deposited On:2017-09-01
Last Modified:2018-08-07
Downloads:107 View Download Statistics

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