Abstract

BIO_SOS (BIOdiversity multi-SOurce monitoring System: from Space TO Species is a response to the Call for proposals FP7- SPACE-2010-1, addressing topic SPACE.2010.1.1-04 “Stimulating the development of GMES services in specific areas' with application to (B) BIODIVERSITY. BIO_SOS is a pilot project for effective and timely multi-annual monitoring of NATURA 2000 sites and their surrounding in support to management decisions in sample areas, mainly in Mediterranean regions and for the reporting on status and trends according to National and EU obligations. The aim of BIO_SOS is two-fold: 1) the development and validation of a prototype multi-modular system to provide a reliable long term biodiversity monitoring service at high to very high-spatial resolution; 2) to embed monitoring information (changes) in innovative ecological (environmental) modelling for Natura 2000 site management. The system will be developed and validated within ecologically sensitive ‘sampling’ sites and their borders exposed to combined human-induced pressures. Different environmental characteristics of the selected sites have been considered in order to ensure system robustness. Sites characteristics ranges from mountain rough to flat coastal morphologies, from rangeland to human dominated landscapes and land uses. BIO_SOS intends to deeply investigate issues related to very high spatial (VHR) (and spectral) resolution Earth Observation data (EO) image processing for automatic land cover maps updating and change detection. Such maps are at the base of biodiversity indicators provision. On the other hand, it intends to develop a modelling framework to combine multi-scale (high to very high resolution) EO data and in-situ/ancillary data to provide indicators and their trends. This means the development of more appropriate and accurate models in support to a deeper understanding, assessment and prediction of the impacts that human induced pressures may have on biodiversity loss.