Chapter 7
Remote Sensing-Based Monitoring
of Potential Climate-Induced Impacts
on Habitats
Michael Fo ¨rster, Marc Zebisch, Iris Wagner-Lu ¨cker, Tobias Schmidt,
Kathrin Renner, and Marco Neubert
7.1 Introduction
Climate change is likely to be a strong driver of changes in habitat conditions and,
subsequently, species composition. Sensitive and accurate monitoring techniques
are required to reveal changes in protected areas and habitats. Remote sensing bears
the potential to fulfil these requirements because it provides a broad view of
landscapes and offers the opportunity to acquire data in a systematic, repeatable,
and spatially explicit manner. It is an important tool for monitoring and managing
habitats and protected areas as it allows the acquisition of data in remote and
inaccessible areas. This is important since traditional field-based biodiversity assessment methods (although far more detailed and often more accurate) are sometimes
subjective and usually spatially restrained due to constraints in time, finance, or
habitat accessibility. Remote sensing can provide indicators for different spatial and
M. Fo ¨rster (*) • T. Schmidt
Geoinformation in Environmental Planning Lab, Department of Landscape
Architecture and Environmental Planning, Technical University of Berlin,
Str. d. 17. Juni 145, 10623 Berlin, Germany
e-mail: michael.foerster@tu-berlin.de
M. Zebisch • K. Renner
Institute for Applied Remote Sensing, EURAC Research, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
I. Wagner-Lu ¨cker
Department of Conservation Biology, Vegetation- and Landscape Ecology,
University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria
Department of Limnology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
e-mail: iris.wagner@univie.ac.at
M. Neubert
Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development,
Weberplatz 1, 01217 Dresden, Germany
e-mail: m.neubert@ioer.de
S. Rannow and M. Neubert (eds.), Managing Protected Areas in Central
and Eastern Europe Under Climate Change, Advances in Global Change Research 58,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-7960-0_7, © The Author(s) 2014
95
Remote Sensing-Based Monitoring
of Potential Climate-Induced Impacts
on Habitats
Michael Fo ¨rster, Marc Zebisch, Iris Wagner-Lu ¨cker, Tobias Schmidt,
Kathrin Renner, and Marco Neubert
7.1 Introduction
Climate change is likely to be a strong driver of changes in habitat conditions and,
subsequently, species composition. Sensitive and accurate monitoring techniques
are required to reveal changes in protected areas and habitats. Remote sensing bears
the potential to fulfil these requirements because it provides a broad view of
landscapes and offers the opportunity to acquire data in a systematic, repeatable,
and spatially explicit manner. It is an important tool for monitoring and managing
habitats and protected areas as it allows the acquisition of data in remote and
inaccessible areas. This is important since traditional field-based biodiversity assessment methods (although far more detailed and often more accurate) are sometimes
subjective and usually spatially restrained due to constraints in time, finance, or
habitat accessibility. Remote sensing can provide indicators for different spatial and
M. Fo ¨rster (*) • T. Schmidt
Geoinformation in Environmental Planning Lab, Department of Landscape
Architecture and Environmental Planning, Technical University of Berlin,
Str. d. 17. Juni 145, 10623 Berlin, Germany
e-mail: michael.foerster@tu-berlin.de
M. Zebisch • K. Renner
Institute for Applied Remote Sensing, EURAC Research, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
I. Wagner-Lu ¨cker
Department of Conservation Biology, Vegetation- and Landscape Ecology,
University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria
Department of Limnology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
e-mail: iris.wagner@univie.ac.at
M. Neubert
Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development,
Weberplatz 1, 01217 Dresden, Germany
e-mail: m.neubert@ioer.de
S. Rannow and M. Neubert (eds.), Managing Protected Areas in Central
and Eastern Europe Under Climate Change, Advances in Global Change Research 58,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-7960-0_7, © The Author(s) 2014
95