From space to species: ecological applications for remote sensing

A variety of ecological applications require data from broad spatial extents that cannot be collected using field-based methods. Remote sensing data and techniques address these needs, which include identifying and detailing the biophysical characteristics of species’ habitats, predicting the distribution of species and spatial variability in species richness, and detecting natural and human-caused change at scales ranging from individual landscapes to the entire world. Such measurements are subject to substantial errors that can be difficult to overcome, but corrected data are readily available and can be of sufficiently high resolution to be integrated into traditional field-based studies. Ecologists and conservation biologists are finding new ways to approach their research with the powerful suite of tools and data from remote sensing.