Remote sensing and spatial ecology

The research line is based on the use of remote sensing and spatial approaches to estimate biodiversity. Most of the data on biodiversity must be gathered by multitemporal in-situ monitoring. This approach is difficult to apply over wide areas. To solve this issue, the use of remotely sensed images can provide for important information on diversity variability in space and time.

The research line is divided in two main themes:

a) Remote sensing: remotely sensed data gathering and processing, with the application of spectral data analysis at various spatial scales for the estimate of bio- and geo-diversity,

b) Spatial ecology: development of approaches for the analysis of ecological data at various spatial scales, including the main factors driving biodiversity changes (e.g., climate, anthropic factors). The proposed approaches are based on computational ecology and grounded on free and open source software development.