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UNCOVERING THE LAND COVER HETEROGENEITY OF THE WESTERN SAHARA-SAHEL

20 Nov 2016 - João Campos (BIODESERTS, CIBIO-InBIO/UP) | December 16, 2016 - 14h30 | CIBIO-InBIO’s Auditorium, Campus de Vairão
UNCOVERING THE LAND COVER HETEROGENEITY OF THE WESTERN SAHARA-SAHEL

STUDENT SEMINAR IN BIODIVERSITY AND EVOLUTION

 

 

Accurate categorisation of land cover is one of the most important Remote Sensing-derived variables, being recently considered crucial for achieving Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The Sahara-Sahel comprises high levels of habitat heterogeneity that usually remain undetected in available global land cover maps. A 30x30 m resolution land cover map of the West Sahara-Sahel, developed a stepwise methodology for land cover assessment, and improved current land cover information. GPS field-collected control points and associated descriptive traits were grouped by Hierarchical Cluster Analyses (HCA). Resulting groups were used for Landsat image classification. Independent control points suggested a robust regional classification of land cover. The final map, composed by a total of 18 classes, constitutes framework data for mapping local land cover information and for improving the effectiveness of the assessment and management of natural resources for both local human populations and biodiversity.

 

Currently, João Campos is a Ph.D. student at CIBIO-InBIO and IBE (CSIC-UPF, Barcelona). João’s research is focused on habitat connectivity in desert environments, exploring GIS and RS tools for the identification of environmental and landscape factors that can influence the genetic diversity and gene flow among populations. Water-dependent species from North Africa represent the main targets of his study. He is working under the supervision of Dr. José Carlos Brito (CIBIO-InBIO and Dr. Salvador Carranza (IBE, CSIC-UPF, Barcelona).

 

[Group Leader: José Carlos Brito, Biodiversity of Deserts and Arid Regions]

 

Image credits: João Campos

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