Identification of ecosystem services in forest areas through remote sensing

Abstract

The concept of ecosystem services has been used in decision-making processes and in the management of projects with the potential to cause significant environmental degradation, by explaining the dependence that society has on the benefits ofered by ecosystems. In parallel, with the development of new sensors and technological advances, the application of satellite imagery to environment planning and management has also been growing. The objective of this work is to demonstrate the application of remote sensing to identify ecosystems, their services and beneficiaries, is order to facilitate the application of the ecosystem services concept to environmental planning and management. The steps for application, from land cover mapping to the identification of beneficiaries were tested in a bauxite mine located in the Amazon forest. Two techniques - collecting field data with communities and mapping the area through image classification -, are discussed as providing complementary input. Results demonstrate the applicability of remote sensing as an effective tool to support the identification of ecosystem services for environmental planning and management purposes.