Linking GMES Space Component to the development of land policies in Outermost Regions—the Azores (Portugal) case-study

Abstract

The aim of this study is to assess the potential effectiveness of GMES Space Component Sentinel Missions for land-based environmental policy support in the Azores Autonomous Region (Portugal). Sixteen different types of legal and spatial instruments are currently being applied in this region. Most of them require detailed and accurate Land-use/Landcover cartography in order to deliver reliable outputs at municipal, island and archipelagic scales. Sentinel-2 Mission products can fulfill these requirements in a cost-effective way. A Spatial Data Infrastructure-based Regional GMES framework is proposed in order to process, assess, validate and integrate this GMES data into the decision support system of Azorean regional land policies.

Mapping invasive alien Acacia dealbata Link using ASTER multispectral imagery: a case study in central-eastern of Portugal

“…Nevertheless, due to its innovative technical features, applying a multi-method processing approach to the new ESA Copernicus Sentinel-2 sensor data might be able to cost-effectively address this relevant information gap at regional level, by providing accurate, detailed and periodic thematic cartography and change detection assessment (e.g. Immitzer et al, 2016;Gil et al, 2012). Furthermore, observing alien plants as acacia requires data collected from sensors pushing the limits of at least one type of resolution (spatial, temporal or spectral resolution) since the profiles of these species may be quite similar to those of native plants, from a RS perspective (Asner, 2008).…”

Assessing the effectiveness of RapidEye multispectral imagery for vegetation mapping in Madeira Island (Portugal)

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Strategies for conservation planning and management of terrestrial ecosystems in small islands (exemplified for the Macaronesian islands)

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