According to the EU Habitats Directive, heathlands are a semi-natural habitat type of community interest. This status aims at conserving these habitats, especially where and when they are threatened by various changes, including natural vegetation succession. We present results of a study of the dynamics of a typical dry heathland plot located in the Fontainebleau massif (France). An exhaustive observation of vegetation changes were made on this area of four hectares between 2000 and 2008, employing a spatial approach. We recorded the expansion of Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench at the expense of Ericaceae. The potential future vegetation of the site was modelled using Markov chains coupled to a GIS programme. This model predicted a gradual change in the floristic composition of heathland in favour of M. caerulea at the expense of Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull and Erica tetralix L., and the expansion of Pinus sylvestris L. The study demonstrates how spatial methods can contribute to the design of reliable management methods of habitats such as the heathlands.
In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, a method for identifying and mapping vulnerable areas in an armed conflict zone seems necessary to limit the risk and anticipate the spread of contamination. It may also assist in the preparation of health infrastructures and the development of strategies to manage such infrastructures as this pandemic, which affects the whole world and has created chaos in fragile states, is causing significant problems in armed conflict zones. To achieve these objectives, geographic information technologies, remote sensing and spatial modelling currently offer new potential for anticipating the spread of risk in armed conflict zones and better managing health or natural emergencies.
In this paper, we present the Risk of Vulnerability to COVID-19 in War Zones Index “Id_Covid19_WZ”. This index was calculated based on several factors and by using spatial data. A risk map was then created from this data developed for the north-west of Syria, an area where there has been intense fighting for several years.
Identify areas vulnerable to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Anticipating the spread of risk in armed conflict zones.
Using remote sensing and spatial modelling to managing health emergencies.
European heathland communities on acid, nutrient-poor soils have a high ecological value due to their special environmental conditions. Natural succession (tree colonization and the emergence of grasses) poses a threat to this type of habitat anddifferent types of management strategy must be considered if it is to be maintained. A previous study on a dry heathland area located in the Fontainebleau forest (France) showed a gradual shift from a pure ericaceous standto a mosaic of grasses and Ericaceae, despite the application of measures such as removal of woodland speciesto sustain the habitat. Habitat change was due to local expansion of a grass,Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench.The presentpaperaimedto identify factors responsible for the expansion of M. caerulea and the subsequent decrease in ericaceous heath. We focused our study on spatial variability of soil properties (soil horizons, pH, water content) and reforestation (density of birch individuals and proximity to woodland) as a suite of possible factors promotingthe expansion of M. caerulea. We show that the development of grasses was correlated withthinsoil E horizon and spatial distribution of old shoots of birch,Betula pendula Roth, which are regularly cut and then resprout. These results suggest that new methods to avoid tree colonization must be introduced if typical heathland is to be maintained.
Today, armed conflict affects some twenty countries, covering an area making up 11% of the surface area of the Earth. Any degradation of nature in these areas represents a harmful depletion of the world's natural heritage. Despite this, environmental issues are neglected during these periods of conflict, considered secondary to the urgency of restoring peace and safeguarding human life. Yet their consequences are potentially severe. In these areas, it is future generations who will suffer the effects of the current devastation for a very long time.In this context, the method developed in this study, named (Geographic Information System) for Environmental Monitoring in Wartime, can be used to calculate a risk indicator for environmental degradation, spatial monitoring and risk management. This will make it possible to identify the main threats to protected areas, catalogue the damage caused to the environment by armed conflicts, and create a dynamic risk map. In this paper, GIS-EMW has been applied to calculate a risk indicator for environmental degradation in Syria.
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