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Escalating human impacts on the Earth are creating unprecedented challenges, including the drastic degradation and loss of biodiversity worldwide
Andrés Viña. Editorial for Special Issue “Remote Sensing for Monitoring Wildlife and Habitat in a Changing World”. Remote Sensing 2021, 13, 2762 .
AMA StyleAndrés Viña. Editorial for Special Issue “Remote Sensing for Monitoring Wildlife and Habitat in a Changing World”. Remote Sensing. 2021; 13 (14):2762.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrés Viña. 2021. "Editorial for Special Issue “Remote Sensing for Monitoring Wildlife and Habitat in a Changing World”." Remote Sensing 13, no. 14: 2762.
Globally, the number and extent of terrestrial protected areas (PAs) are expanding rapidly. Nonetheless, their impacts on preventing forest loss and the factors influencing the impacts are not well understood, despite the critical roles of forests in biodiversity conservation, provision of ecosystem services, and achievement of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. To address this important knowledge gap, we quantified the impacts of 54,792 PAs worldwide on preventing forest loss from 2000 to 2015, and assessed important landscape and management factors affecting the impacts of PAs. Although the majority (71.4%) of the PAs contributed to preventing forest loss, only 30.5% of forest loss in the PAs have been prevented. PAs with higher rates of forest loss in their surrounding regions, located at lower elevations, within a few hours of travel from the nearest city, with higher agricultural productivity, and permission for fewer human uses were better able to prevent forest loss. Impacts on preventing forest loss were similar regardless of whether the PAs were privately or publicly owned. Our findings highlight the potential benefits of strict protections, involving private entities in the establishment of PAs, and situating PAs in areas exposed to high risks of forest loss to enhance the capacity to combat global forest loss.
Hongbo Yang; Andrés Viña; Julie Ann Winkler; Min Gon Chung; Qiongyu Huang; Yue Dou; William J. McShea; Melissa Songer; Jindong Zhang; Jianguo Liu. A global assessment of the impact of individual protected areas on preventing forest loss. Science of The Total Environment 2021, 777, 145995 .
AMA StyleHongbo Yang, Andrés Viña, Julie Ann Winkler, Min Gon Chung, Qiongyu Huang, Yue Dou, William J. McShea, Melissa Songer, Jindong Zhang, Jianguo Liu. A global assessment of the impact of individual protected areas on preventing forest loss. Science of The Total Environment. 2021; 777 ():145995.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHongbo Yang; Andrés Viña; Julie Ann Winkler; Min Gon Chung; Qiongyu Huang; Yue Dou; William J. McShea; Melissa Songer; Jindong Zhang; Jianguo Liu. 2021. "A global assessment of the impact of individual protected areas on preventing forest loss." Science of The Total Environment 777, no. : 145995.
The use of a charismatic umbrella species as surrogate for sympatric species is often advocated as an efficient approach. However, comprehensive evaluations from a spatio-temporal perspective are few, leaving the long-term effectiveness of such practices remain uncertain. We modeled the habitat change for giant panda and eight sympatric mammalian species using observations from extensive camera trap surveys and remotely-sensed environmental predictors during two time periods, early 2000s and early 2010s. We found that the degree and spatial pattern of the habitat suitability change varied among species. The overall habitat suitability improved between the early 2000s and early 2010s for seven target species including giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca, suggesting positive effects of several recent conservation projects in restoring natural landscapes for certain species groups. However, the current nature reserve system designed for giant pandas did not adequately cover critical landscapes for several species, including the two species who experienced net habitat loss, Endangered forest musk deer Moschus berezovskii and Vulnerble Asiatic black bear Ursus thibetanus. To conserve multiple species simultaneously in this region, we recommend establishing nature reserves for other threatened species who share dissimilar habitat needs with giant panda, and adding a widely distributed omnivores, Asiatic black bear, as a surrogate species in central and southwest China. These findings reveal the risk of using umbrella species as a conservation shortcut in protecting animal communities in China, and have substantial implications for other regions where the majority of the conservation funds are directed toward a single charismatic species.
Fang Wang; Julie Winkler; Andrés Viña; William Joseph McShea; Sheng Li; Thomas Connor; Zhiqiang Zhao; Dajun Wang; Hongbo Yang; Ying Tang; Jindong Zhang; Jianguo Liu. The hidden risk of using umbrella species as conservation surrogates: A spatio-temporal approach. Biological Conservation 2020, 253, 108913 .
AMA StyleFang Wang, Julie Winkler, Andrés Viña, William Joseph McShea, Sheng Li, Thomas Connor, Zhiqiang Zhao, Dajun Wang, Hongbo Yang, Ying Tang, Jindong Zhang, Jianguo Liu. The hidden risk of using umbrella species as conservation surrogates: A spatio-temporal approach. Biological Conservation. 2020; 253 ():108913.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFang Wang; Julie Winkler; Andrés Viña; William Joseph McShea; Sheng Li; Thomas Connor; Zhiqiang Zhao; Dajun Wang; Hongbo Yang; Ying Tang; Jindong Zhang; Jianguo Liu. 2020. "The hidden risk of using umbrella species as conservation surrogates: A spatio-temporal approach." Biological Conservation 253, no. : 108913.
Increases in human population and per-capita consumption are putting enormous pressure on land resources. About 38% of the Earth’s land area is being used in agricultural production [1], with about half (ca. 31%) of the remaining land being under forest cover [2] and the other half being less suitable for agricultural production due to edaphic, topographic and/or climatic factors. Despite the fact that over the last three decades the world food production has doubled [3], about 1 in 9 people in the world is still undernourished [4]. This poses the global challenge of increasing food security without exacerbating serious environmental problems, such as loss of biodiversity [5], greenhouse gas emissions [6], soil degradation [7], and alteration of hydrological cycles [8], among many others. While these issues are of global relevance, we recognize that they are local in nature since their effects are felt locally, while the actions on the land are performed by local actors whose decisions are driven not only by global [9,10], but also by regional [11] and local [12] forces.
William J. McConnell; Andrés Vina. Interactions between Food Security and Land Use in the Context of Global Change. Land 2018, 7, 53 .
AMA StyleWilliam J. McConnell, Andrés Vina. Interactions between Food Security and Land Use in the Context of Global Change. Land. 2018; 7 (2):53.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWilliam J. McConnell; Andrés Vina. 2018. "Interactions between Food Security and Land Use in the Context of Global Change." Land 7, no. 2: 53.
Many of the current protected areas worldwide are established for the conservation of particular species of interest, yet their benefits may go beyond these species since they could also contribute to the conservation of entire biodiversity pools. In addition, they may also contribute to the provision of ecosystem services. However, these benefits are seldom evaluated or targeted for improvement. Using field and remotely sensed data, we evaluated how representative of the plant biodiversity pool and of carbon sequestration is a network of nature reserves specifically established for the conservation of a target species, the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), an icon of biodiversity conservation. Our results show that forest structure (including tree/bamboo species composition) within the nature reserve network is representative of the forest structure across the entire study region, with the exception of forests located at lower elevations which are not well represented. In addition, of the areas of forest cover gained across the study region between 2000 and 2010 (~10,700 km2) only about 15% occurred within panda reserves. Furthermore, accumulated net primary productivity (NPP) per year between 2000 and 2010 across the study region exhibited a monotonic increase, while the relative contribution of the reserve network to this accumulated NPP remained relatively constant (~25.5%). This suggests that the areas inside nature reserves may be reaching their maximum forest cover and NPP levels. Therefore, despite the significant positive roles of these reserves beyond the conservation of the species of interest, further conservation actions are needed to maintain and improve the conservation of regional biodiversity pools, as well as to improve gains in forest cover and in carbon sequestration. The procedures shown in this study are easily transferable to other study regions for assessing the benefits they provide beyond the conservation of the target(s) species of interest.
Andrés Viña; Jianguo Liu. Hidden roles of protected areas in the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Ecosphere 2017, 8, e01864 .
AMA StyleAndrés Viña, Jianguo Liu. Hidden roles of protected areas in the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Ecosphere. 2017; 8 (6):e01864.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrés Viña; Jianguo Liu. 2017. "Hidden roles of protected areas in the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services." Ecosphere 8, no. 6: e01864.
Forest loss is one of the most pervasive land surface transformations on Earth, with drastic effects on global climate, ecosystems, and human well-being. As part of biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation efforts, many countries, including China, have been implementing large-scale policies to conserve and restore forests. However, little is known about the effectiveness of these policies, and information on China’s forest dynamics at the national level has mainly relied on official statistics. In response to international calls for improved reliability and transparency of information on biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation efforts, it is crucial to independently verify government statistics. Furthermore, if forest recovery is verified, it is essential to assess the degree to which this recovery is attributable to policy, within the context of other relevant factors. We assess the dynamics of forest cover in China between 2000 and 2010 and evaluate the effectiveness of one of the largest forest conservation programs in the world—the Natural Forest Conservation Program (NFCP). Results indicate that forest cover has significantly increased in around 1.6% of China’s territory and that the areas exhibiting forest gain experienced a combined increase in net primary productivity (ca. 0.9 Tg of carbon). Among the variables evaluated at county level, the NFCP exhibited a significantly positive relation with forest gain, whereas reduction in rural labor showed a negative relationship with both forest loss and gain. Findings such as these have global implications for forest conservation and climate change mitigation efforts.
Andrés Viña; William J. McConnell; Hongbo Yang; Zhenci Xu; Jianguo Liu. Effects of conservation policy on China’s forest recovery. Science Advances 2016, 2, e1500965 -1500965.
AMA StyleAndrés Viña, William J. McConnell, Hongbo Yang, Zhenci Xu, Jianguo Liu. Effects of conservation policy on China’s forest recovery. Science Advances. 2016; 2 (3):e1500965-1500965.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrés Viña; William J. McConnell; Hongbo Yang; Zhenci Xu; Jianguo Liu. 2016. "Effects of conservation policy on China’s forest recovery." Science Advances 2, no. 3: e1500965-1500965.
Wu Yang; David W. Hyndman; Julie A. Winkler; Andrés Viña; Jillian M. Deines; Frank Lupi; Lifeng Luo; Yunkai Li; Bruno Basso; Chunmiao Zheng; Dongchun Ma; Shuxin Li; Xiao Liu; Hua Zheng; Guoliang Cao; Qingyi Meng; Zhiyun Ouyang; Jianguo Liu. Urban water sustainability: framework and application. Ecology and Society 2016, 21, 1 .
AMA StyleWu Yang, David W. Hyndman, Julie A. Winkler, Andrés Viña, Jillian M. Deines, Frank Lupi, Lifeng Luo, Yunkai Li, Bruno Basso, Chunmiao Zheng, Dongchun Ma, Shuxin Li, Xiao Liu, Hua Zheng, Guoliang Cao, Qingyi Meng, Zhiyun Ouyang, Jianguo Liu. Urban water sustainability: framework and application. Ecology and Society. 2016; 21 (4):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWu Yang; David W. Hyndman; Julie A. Winkler; Andrés Viña; Jillian M. Deines; Frank Lupi; Lifeng Luo; Yunkai Li; Bruno Basso; Chunmiao Zheng; Dongchun Ma; Shuxin Li; Xiao Liu; Hua Zheng; Guoliang Cao; Qingyi Meng; Zhiyun Ouyang; Jianguo Liu. 2016. "Urban water sustainability: framework and application." Ecology and Society 21, no. 4: 1.
Madagascar is renowned for the loss of the forested habitat of lemurs and other species endemic to the island. Less well known is that in the highlands, a region often described as an environmental “basket-case” of fire-degraded, eroded grasslands, woody cover has been increasing for decades. Using information derived from publically available high- and medium-resolution satellites, this study characterizes tree cover dynamics in the highlands of Madagascar over the past two decades. Our results reveal heterogeneous patterns of increased tree cover on smallholder farms and village lands, spurred by a mix of endogenous and exogenous forces. The new trees play important roles in rural livelihoods, providing renewable supplies of firewood, charcoal, timber and other products and services, as well as defensible claims to land tenure in the context of a decline in the use of hillside commons for grazing. This study documents this nascent forest transition through Land Change Science techniques, and provides a prologue to political ecological analysis by setting these changes in their social and environmental context and interrogating the costs and benefits of the shift in rural livelihood strategies.
William J. McConnell; Andrés Viña; Christian A Kull; Clayton Batko. Forest Transition in Madagascar’s Highlands: Initial Evidence and Implications. Land 2015, 4, 1155 -1181.
AMA StyleWilliam J. McConnell, Andrés Viña, Christian A Kull, Clayton Batko. Forest Transition in Madagascar’s Highlands: Initial Evidence and Implications. Land. 2015; 4 (4):1155-1181.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWilliam J. McConnell; Andrés Viña; Christian A Kull; Clayton Batko. 2015. "Forest Transition in Madagascar’s Highlands: Initial Evidence and Implications." Land 4, no. 4: 1155-1181.
Liu, J., V. Hull, J. Luo, W. Yang, W. Liu, A. Viña, C. Vogt, Z. Xu, H. Yang, J. Zhang, L. An, X. Chen, S. Li, Z. Ouyang, W. Xu and H. Zhang 2015. Multiple telecouplings and their complex interrelationships. Ecology and Society 20(3):44.http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-07868-200344
Jianguo Liu; Vanessa Hull; Junyan Luo; Wu Yang; Wei Liu; Andrés Viña; Christine Vogt; Zhenci Xu; Hongbo Yang; Jindong Zhang; Li An; Xiaodong Chen; Shuxin Li; Zhiyun Ouyang; Weihua Xu; Hemin Zhang. Multiple telecouplings and their complex interrelationships. Ecology and Society 2015, 20, 1 .
AMA StyleJianguo Liu, Vanessa Hull, Junyan Luo, Wu Yang, Wei Liu, Andrés Viña, Christine Vogt, Zhenci Xu, Hongbo Yang, Jindong Zhang, Li An, Xiaodong Chen, Shuxin Li, Zhiyun Ouyang, Weihua Xu, Hemin Zhang. Multiple telecouplings and their complex interrelationships. Ecology and Society. 2015; 20 (3):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJianguo Liu; Vanessa Hull; Junyan Luo; Wu Yang; Wei Liu; Andrés Viña; Christine Vogt; Zhenci Xu; Hongbo Yang; Jindong Zhang; Li An; Xiaodong Chen; Shuxin Li; Zhiyun Ouyang; Weihua Xu; Hemin Zhang. 2015. "Multiple telecouplings and their complex interrelationships." Ecology and Society 20, no. 3: 1.
Carter, N. H., A. Viña, V. Hull, W. J. McConnell, W. Axinn, D. Ghimire, and J. Liu. 2014. Coupled human and natural systems approach to wildlife research and conservation. Ecology and Society 19(3): 43.http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-06881-190343
Neil H. Carter; Andrés Viña; Vanessa Hull; William J. McConnell; William Axinn; Dirgha Ghimire; Jianguo Liu. Coupled human and natural systems approach to wildlife research and conservation. Ecology and Society 2014, 19, 1 .
AMA StyleNeil H. Carter, Andrés Viña, Vanessa Hull, William J. McConnell, William Axinn, Dirgha Ghimire, Jianguo Liu. Coupled human and natural systems approach to wildlife research and conservation. Ecology and Society. 2014; 19 (3):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNeil H. Carter; Andrés Viña; Vanessa Hull; William J. McConnell; William Axinn; Dirgha Ghimire; Jianguo Liu. 2014. "Coupled human and natural systems approach to wildlife research and conservation." Ecology and Society 19, no. 3: 1.
Conservation policies are emerging in many places around the world, many of which involve payment for ecosystem services (PES) schemes. PES schemes provide economic incentives for forgoing land uses that reduce the provision of ecosystem services. The efficiency of such schemes depends not only on the ecosystem services provided by an area but also on the willingness of local people to forgo their land use activities. Targeting land for enrollment in PES schemes on the basis of the potential provision of ecosystem services and on the willingness to forgo certain economic activities, may therefore improve the efficiency of these schemes. The objective of this study was to develop a targeting approach, based on three surrogates derived from remotely sensed and ancillary data, for identifying land to be enrolled in one of the largest PES schemes in the world: China's Grain-to-Green Program (GTGP). The GTGP encourages farmers to return steep hillside cropland to forest by providing cash, grain and tree seedlings. The three surrogates used in the targeting approach were slope index, cropland probability, and GTGP enrollment probability. Combining these surrogates through Bernoulli trials allows targeting areas under cropland, with low opportunity costs for farmers and with potentially high soil erosion and landslide susceptibility. Results of applying the targeting approach in a case study area (Baoxing County, Sichuan Province, China) show that around half of the land currently enrolled is placed in areas with gentle slopes and tend to be located distant from forest areas. This reduces the potential benefits obtained from the GTGP. Targeting land using the proposed approach may double the benefits obtained from the program under the same budget, thus improving its efficiency. The approach may be applied to the entire GTGP implementation area in China and with proper modifications it may also be applicable to similar PES programs around the world.
Andrés Viña; Xiaodong Chen; Wu Yang; Wei Liu; Yu Li; Zhiyun Ouyang; Jianguo Liu. Improving the efficiency of conservation policies with the use of surrogates derived from remotely sensed and ancillary data. Ecological Indicators 2012, 26, 103 -111.
AMA StyleAndrés Viña, Xiaodong Chen, Wu Yang, Wei Liu, Yu Li, Zhiyun Ouyang, Jianguo Liu. Improving the efficiency of conservation policies with the use of surrogates derived from remotely sensed and ancillary data. Ecological Indicators. 2012; 26 ():103-111.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrés Viña; Xiaodong Chen; Wu Yang; Wei Liu; Yu Li; Zhiyun Ouyang; Jianguo Liu. 2012. "Improving the efficiency of conservation policies with the use of surrogates derived from remotely sensed and ancillary data." Ecological Indicators 26, no. : 103-111.
Many algorithms have been developed for the remote estimation of biophysical characteristics of vegetation, in terms of combinations of spectral bands, derivatives of reflectance spectra, neural networks, inversion of radiative transfer models, and several multi-spectral statistical approaches. However, the most widespread type of algorithm used is the mathematical combination of visible and near-infrared reflectance bands, in the form of spectral vegetation indices. Applications of such vegetation indices have ranged from leaves to the entire globe, but in many instances, their applicability is specific to species, vegetation types or local conditions. The general objective of this study is to evaluate different vegetation indices for the remote estimation of the green leaf area index (Green LAI) of two crop types (maize and soybean) with contrasting canopy architectures and leaf structures. Among the indices tested, the chlorophyll Indices (the CIGreen, the CIRed-edge and the MERIS Terrestrial Chlorophyll Index, MTCI) exhibited strong and significant linear relationships with Green LAI, and thus were sensitive across the entire range of Green LAI evaluated (i.e., 0.0 to more than 6.0 m2/m2). However, the CIRed-edge was the only index insensitive to crop type and produced the most accurate estimations of Green LAI in both crops (RMSE = 0.577 m2/m2). These results were obtained using data acquired with close range sensors (i.e., field spectroradiometers mounted 6 m above the canopy) and an aircraft-mounted hyperspectral imaging spectroradiometer (AISA). As the CIRed-edge also exhibited low sensitivity to soil background effects, it constitutes a simple, yet robust tool for the remote and synoptic estimation of Green LAI. Algorithms based on this index may not require re-parameterization when applied to crops with different canopy architectures and leaf structures, but further studies are required for assessing its applicability in other vegetation types (e.g., forests, grasslands).
Andrés Viña; Anatoly A. Gitelson; Anthony L. Nguy-Robertson; Yi Peng. Comparison of different vegetation indices for the remote assessment of green leaf area index of crops. Remote Sensing of Environment 2011, 115, 3468 -3478.
AMA StyleAndrés Viña, Anatoly A. Gitelson, Anthony L. Nguy-Robertson, Yi Peng. Comparison of different vegetation indices for the remote assessment of green leaf area index of crops. Remote Sensing of Environment. 2011; 115 (12):3468-3478.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrés Viña; Anatoly A. Gitelson; Anthony L. Nguy-Robertson; Yi Peng. 2011. "Comparison of different vegetation indices for the remote assessment of green leaf area index of crops." Remote Sensing of Environment 115, no. 12: 3468-3478.
Conservation policies are increasing in response to human-induced ecosystem degradation, but little is known about their interplay with natural disasters. Through an analysis of satellite imagery and field data we evaluated the impacts of a devastating earthquake on forest recovery and avoided forest loss estimated to have been obtained by two of the largest conservation programs in the world. Results show that more than 10% of the forests in Wenchuan County, Sichuan province, China were immediately affected by the 2008 earthquake, offsetting some gains in forest cover observed since the enactment of the conservation programs. But without the enactment of these conservation programs, the combined effects of human disturbance and earthquake-induced landslides could have severely reduced the region’s forest cover. The continuation—and enhancement—of incentives for participation in conservation programs will be important for reducing the environmental impacts of the combined effects of human disturbance and natural hazards not only in the study area but also in many disaster-prone regions around the world.
Andrés Viña; Xiaodong Chen; William J. McConnell; Wei Liu; Weihua Xu; Zhiyun Ouyang; Hemin Zhang; Jianguo Liu. Effects of Natural Disasters on Conservation Policies: The Case of the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake, China. Ambio 2010, 40, 274 -284.
AMA StyleAndrés Viña, Xiaodong Chen, William J. McConnell, Wei Liu, Weihua Xu, Zhiyun Ouyang, Hemin Zhang, Jianguo Liu. Effects of Natural Disasters on Conservation Policies: The Case of the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake, China. Ambio. 2010; 40 (3):274-284.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrés Viña; Xiaodong Chen; William J. McConnell; Wei Liu; Weihua Xu; Zhiyun Ouyang; Hemin Zhang; Jianguo Liu. 2010. "Effects of Natural Disasters on Conservation Policies: The Case of the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake, China." Ambio 40, no. 3: 274-284.
The range-wide habitat status of many endangered species is unclear. We evaluated the status and spatial distribution of the habitat of the endangered giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) across its entire geographic range (i.e., six mountain regions located in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, China) by integrating field and remotely sensed data to develop a habitat distribution model. Results suggest that current suitable habitat corresponds to ca. 1/4 of the habitat baseline (i.e., maximum amount of habitat possible). The highest proportion of suitable habitat relative to the baseline is in the Qinling mountain region. Overall, around 40% of the suitable habitat is inside nature reserves, but the proportion of habitat inside them varied among different mountain regions, ranging from ca. 17% (Lesser Xiangling) to ca. 66% (Qinling). The habitat model also predicted the occurrence of potentially suitable habitat outside the currently accepted geographic range of the species, which should be further evaluated as potential panda reintroduction sites. Our approach is valuable for assessing the conservation status of the entire habitat of the species, for identifying areas with significant ecological roles (e.g., corridors), for identifying areas suitable for panda reintroductions, and for establishing specific conservation strategies in different parts of the giant panda geographic range. It might also prove useful for range-wide habitat analyses of many other endangered species around the world.
Andrés Viña; Mao-Ning Tuanmu; Weihua Xu; Yu Li; Zhiyun Ouyang; Ruth DeFries; Jianguo Liu. Range-wide analysis of wildlife habitat: Implications for conservation. Biological Conservation 2010, 143, 1960 -1969.
AMA StyleAndrés Viña, Mao-Ning Tuanmu, Weihua Xu, Yu Li, Zhiyun Ouyang, Ruth DeFries, Jianguo Liu. Range-wide analysis of wildlife habitat: Implications for conservation. Biological Conservation. 2010; 143 (9):1960-1969.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrés Viña; Mao-Ning Tuanmu; Weihua Xu; Yu Li; Zhiyun Ouyang; Ruth DeFries; Jianguo Liu. 2010. "Range-wide analysis of wildlife habitat: Implications for conservation." Biological Conservation 143, no. 9: 1960-1969.
Habitat distribution models have a long history in ecological research. With the development of geospatial information technology, including remote sensing, these models are now applied to an ever-increasing number of species, particularly those located in areas in which it is logistically difficult to collect habitat data in the field. Many habitat studies have used data acquired by multi-spectral sensor systems such as the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM), due mostly to their availability and relatively high spatial resolution (30 m/pixel). The use of data collected by other sensor systems with lower spatial resolutions but high frequency of acquisitions has largely been neglected, due to the perception that such low spatial resolution data are too coarse for habitat mapping. In this study we compare two models using data from different satellite sensor systems for mapping the spatial distribution of giant panda habitat in Wolong Nature Reserve, China. The first one is a four-category scheme model based on combining forest cover (derived from a digital land cover classification of Landsat TM imagery acquired in June, 2001) with information on elevation and slope (derived from a digital elevation model obtained from topographic maps of the study area). The second model is based on the Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) of a time series of weekly composites of WDRVI (Wide Dynamic Range Vegetation Index) images derived from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer – 250 m/pixel) for 2001. A series of field plots was established in the reserve during the summer–autumn months of 2001–2003. The locations of the plots with panda feces were used to calibrate the ENFA model and to validate the results of both models. Results showed that the model using the seasonal variability of MODIS-WDRVI had a similar prediction success to that using Landsat TM and digital elevation model data, albeit having a coarser spatial resolution. This suggests that the phenological characterization of the land surface provides an appropriate environmental predictor for giant panda habitat mapping. Therefore, the information contained in remotely sensed data acquired with low spatial resolution but high frequency of acquisitions has considerable potential for mapping the habitat distribution of wildlife species.
Andrés Viña; Scott Bearer; Hemin Zhang; Zhiyun Ouyang; Jianguo Liu. Evaluating MODIS data for mapping wildlife habitat distribution. Remote Sensing of Environment 2008, 112, 2160 -2169.
AMA StyleAndrés Viña, Scott Bearer, Hemin Zhang, Zhiyun Ouyang, Jianguo Liu. Evaluating MODIS data for mapping wildlife habitat distribution. Remote Sensing of Environment. 2008; 112 (5):2160-2169.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrés Viña; Scott Bearer; Hemin Zhang; Zhiyun Ouyang; Jianguo Liu. 2008. "Evaluating MODIS data for mapping wildlife habitat distribution." Remote Sensing of Environment 112, no. 5: 2160-2169.