Using historical spy satellite photographs and recent remote sensing data to identify high-conservation-value forests |
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Authors: | Catalina Munteanu Cornelius Senf Mihai D Nita Francesco Maria Sabatini Julian Oeser Rupert Seidl Tobias Kuemmerle |
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Institution: | 1. Geography Department, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany;2. Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany;3. Department of Forest Engineering, Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, Romania;4. German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany |
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Abstract: | High-conservation-value forests (HCVFs) are critically important for biodiversity and ecosystem service provisioning, but they face many threats. Where systematic HCVF inventories are missing, such as in parts of Eastern Europe, these forests remain largely unacknowledged and therefore often unprotected. We devised a novel, transferable approach for detecting HCVFs based on integrating historical spy satellite images, contemporary remote sensing data (Landsat), and information on current potential anthropogenic pressures (e.g., road infrastructure, population density, demand for fire wood, terrain). We applied the method to the Romanian Carpathians, for which we mapped forest continuity (1955–2019), canopy structural complexity, and anthropogenic pressures. We identified 738,000 ha of HCVF. More than half of this area was identified as susceptible to current anthropogenic pressures and lacked formal protection. By providing a framework for broad-scale HCVF monitoring, our approach facilitates integration of HCVF into forest conservation and management. This is urgently needed to achieve the goals of the European Union's Biodiversity Strategy to maintain valuable forest ecosystems. |
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Keywords: | anthropogenic pressure conservation value distribution modeling forest continuity forest structure spy satellite imagery temperate forests bosques templados continuidad forestal estructura forestal imágenes de satélites espía modelado de la distribución presión antropogénica valor de conservación |
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