Evaluation of ecological integrity in landscape based on remote sensing data

Abstract

Sustaining ecological integrity is recognized worldwide as a strategic objective (e.g. the 2015 Paris Agreement), but a general consensus on the overall methodology for assessing ecological integrity is still missing. This chapter presents a contribution to the method of ecological integrity evaluation, using simple and theoretically grounded method to calculate three holistic indicators: exergy capture, biotic water flows and abiotic heterogeneity, utilizing open access remote sensing data (Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8). Three variables are proposed as a representation of the respective indicators: NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), brightness temperature (BT) and vegetation surface heterogeneity (HG). Forests and wetlands have obtained higher results in the selected integrity indicators, while arable lands and urban areas relatively lower. The relative distance between the potential peak and the lowest performance in a landscape context is obtained by calculating a composite Regional Index of Ecological Integrity (RIEI [%]). The proposed approach can be used for various purposes including localization of naturally valuable areas, estimation of ecosystem condition or performance of ecosystem management.