SP4: Vegetation und Big Data Processes

Climate models indicate that during the next decades South Africa will be strongly affected by climate change and extreme weather events. This will probably result in shifting vegetation zones. Together with a strong population growth the danger of land degradation and resulting permanent loss of land areas is becoming immanent. Current optical remote sensing data time series offer new possibilities to detect, describe and understand these developments.

The optical remote sensing group of SALDi/subproject 4 tries to accomplish:

1) Development of innovative optical remote sensing procedures for the long term SALDi observation system, which detect eco system dynamics in a high spatio-temporal resolution. In addition combination of optical and radar methods will result in increased accuracy.

2) Collaborate with South African and German partners to develop indicators and assessment procedures for land degradation.

3) Distribute data and products to SASSCAL and the South African partners for on-going analysis.

To achieve the goals stated above we will:

1) record vegetation cover and anthropogenic influence with optical remote sensing time series in combination with an synergetic (optical-radar) approach (in subproject 1).

2) validate optical satellite data products during field campaigns.

3) develop land degradation indicators to detect degradation patterns.

Subproject 4 tightly integrates with SASSCAL, ARC-ISCW and SANSA in order to facilitate data exchange and development of indicators.

• Development of optical remote sensing methods for the analysis of bio-physical eco system parameters like vegetation distribution and structure and anthropogenic influences
• Development of methods for the synergetic combination of optical and radar data of the SALDi data cube
• Validation of satellite data products during field campaigns in the SALDi work zones
• Development of indicators for land degradation to determine degradation patterns
• Common capacity building activities with the South African partners