Early Identification of Land Degradation Hotspots in Complex Bio-Geographic Regions

摘要: The development of low-cost and relatively simple tools to identify emerging land degradation across complex regions is fundamental plan monitoring intervention strategies. We propose a procedure that integrates multi-spectral satellite observations air temperature data detect areas where the current status local vegetation climate shows evident departures from mean conditions investigated region. Our was tested in Basilicata (Italy), which typical bio-geographic example vulnerable Mediterranean landscape. grouped Landsat TM/ETM+ NDVI (T) by cover type estimate statistical distributions T respective class means. pixels characterized contextual left tail values right persisted time (2002–2006) were classified as critical degradation. According our results, most (88.6%) corresponded forests affected erosion riparian buffers are shaped fragmentation, confirmed aerial in-situ surveys. enables cost-effective screenings able raising hotspots require urgent deeper investigations.