For EU-Mediterranean olive groves (Olea europaea), mapped in CORINE, classes of olive farming intensities were derived from the outcome of a multi-temporal remote sensing vegetation dynamics analysis. The management intensity classes were developed in view of a differentiated accounting of olive groves when delineating High Nature Value Farmland areas (HNV) at pan-European level. The remote sensing input data used was the Green Vegetation Fraction (GVF), derived in 10-day intervals from a long-term time series of NOAA AVHRR data.

Land cover identification and monitoring agricultural resources using remote sensing imagery are of great significance for agricultural management and subsidies. Particularly, permanent crops are important in terms of economy (mainly rural development) and environmental protection.

In support to the Remote Sensing Survey of the global Forest Resource Assessment 2010, the TREES-3 project has processed more than 12,000 Landsat TM and ETM+ data subsets systematically distributed over the tropics. The project aims at deriving area estimates of tropical forest cover change for the periods 1990–2000–2005.

Relationships between seasonal climate, land cover and surface energy exchange in tropical montane cloud forest environments are poorly understood. The goal of this study was to investigate the seasonality of flux partitioning in lower montane cloud forest (LMCF), shaded coffee (CO) and sugarcane (SU) in central Veracruz, Mexico, as well as to evaluate the changes in surface energy exchange associated with the conversion of LMCF to CO or SU.

Little is known about the potentially disrupting effects of wind farms on the habitat connectivity of flying vertebrates at the landscape scale. We developed a regional-scale model to assess the wind farm impact on bat migration and commuting routes. The model was implemented for the bat Nyctalus leisleri in a region of central Italy currently undergoing considerable wind farm development. A Species Distribution Model (SDM) for N.

Land cover is closely related to environmental changes and socioeconomic development. Land-cover change in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is different from that in the lowlands; however, a detailed land-cover change in areas such as the Yarlung Tsangpo River (YTR) basin in the TP has not been reported. To fill this gap, the current study explores the land-cover change between 1985 and 2005 in the YTR basin. The results show that only 1 % of the land cover in the YTR basin changed during this time period.

AIM: Deforestation and climate change are two of the most serious threats to tropical birds. Here, we combine fine‐scale climatic and dynamic land cover models to forecast species vulnerability in rain forest habitats. LOCATION: Sulawesi, Indonesia. METHODS: We sampled bird communities on four mountains across three seasons in Lore Lindu National Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia (a globally important hotspot of avian endemism), to characterize relationships between elevation and abundance. Deforestation from 2000 to 2010 was quantified, and predictors of deforestation were identified.

Protected areas, a corestone of biodiversity conservation, provide a vast array of ecosystem services to support livelihoods of people. However, protected areas, especially freshwater, are under threat with overexploitation of resources changing the land covers and degrading their capacity to supply services. Information on land cover changes and its implications on ecosystems, its services and people, especially in developing countries at a local scale, is largely absent.

Channel changes are the consequence of changes in sediment yield from the slopes and in the connectivity between slopes and channels because of distinct land use and climate impacts. In this study, we investigated the characteristics and evolution of a short reach in the headwater of the Ijuez River, central–southern Pyrenees. Assessment of a series of sedimentary and geomorphic structures confirmed major changes to the valley bottom, mainly related to changes in the intensity of human activity.

A geoinformatics-based land suitability assessment approach was used to examine the prospects for precision farming in the Savanna River basin in Nigeria. The procedure involved the overlay analysis of land use, land cover characteristics interpreted on Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery and physico-chemical soil properties and nutrient attributes in line with FAO suitability guidelines and models. The empirical analysis revealed areas of high, moderate and marginal suitability for the cultivation of maize, yam, cassava and oil palm in the basin.

During the 1990's community-based forest management gained momentum in Nepal. This study systematically evaluates the impacts that this had on land cover change and other associated aspects during the period 1990–2010 using repeat photography and satellite imagery in combination with interviews with community members.

A cross-sectional serological study was carried out to screen the sheep and goat population of Thessaly, Greece for evidence of infection with Toxoplasma, Toxocara, Leishmania, and Echinococcus and to determine the risk factors related to herd characteristics, herd management practices, farmer status, and the bioclimatic variables associated with these zoonotic parasitic infections. A total of 540 sheep and goat serum samples were examined. The seroprevalence of infection in all examined animals was 24.5% for Toxoplasma, 32% for Toxocara, 0% for Leishmania and 85.9% for Echinococcus.