- Derivation of land-cover change data and their assimilation in ecosystem models IA

Context and objectives

The general objective of the research is to develop new methodologies, and to advance and refine existing methodologies to allow for: (i) a more realistic description of long-term processes of land-cover changes, based on a variety of data sources, and (ii) a better integration of remote sensing data into ecosystem models in order to better address key issues on land-cover changes and their impacts.
The proposal is divided into four Modules: (i) Characterisation from space of subtle changes in land cover, (ii) Detection of land-cover change trajectories with long temporal series of data from a variety of sources, (iii) Validation and calibration of remote sensing-based land-cover change data with field measurements - the case of LAI, (iv) Assimilation of remote sensing-based land-cover change data in ecosystem models.

Project outcome

Expected scientific results

• Module 2: Database (aerial photographs, maps, satellite images) + Diagnostic of
different spatial aggregation methods
Method for homogenising a time series of land cover data.
Method for change detection on long-term time series.
• Module 4: Database
Detection algorithm for vegetation change
Methodology: Sensitivity of emission models to biomass burning input data
derived by remote sensing.

Project leader(s): UCL - Georges Lemaître Centre for Earth and Climate Research
Location: Region:
  • Central Africa,West Africa,Zambia

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