FYI ,
A session in the next American Geophysical Union (AGU) fall meeting in
San Francisco, CA (December 15-19, 2008) that might be of interest to
some of you. More information at:
http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm08/?content=search&show=detail&sessid=560
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B35: Advances of Remote Sensing in Terrestrial Biodiversity Research
Sponsor: Biogeosciences
Conveners:
Andres Vina
Michigan State University
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Mao-Ning Tuanmu
Michigan State University
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Index Terms: 0410 0452 0480 .
Description: A key problem that ecologists and evolutionary biologist
have strived to understand is the abundance and distribution of the
biota. In this age of drastic and rapid rates of species extinctions,
such knowledge has become an essential component for management and
conservation. The synoptic view provided by earth-imaging sensors
constitutes an important source of information on biodiversity at broad
scales. The traditional approach to using these data has involved the
classification of discrete land cover types which are then related to
species distributions. A critical limitation of this approach is that
many important dynamics are obscured as the variance is lost within
arbitrary land cover classes. In recent years, novel analytical
techniques have been developed that more fully exploit the spatial,
spectral and temporal information content of remotely sensed imagery in
order to quantify a broader range of ecosystem services, including
biodiversity. This session features advances in the synoptic assessment
of biodiversity at different spatial and temporal scales, using sensors
carried on aerial and satellite platforms. The session will provide the
initial steps towards a multi-disciplinary collaboration for
establishing a synthesis on the synoptic assessment and management of
biodiversity. We request presentations on applications of remote sensing
techniques to biodiversity research, including the development of
methodologies for assessment, monitoring, and modeling, as well as their
implications for management and conservation.
