MIA
MY NETWORK - NATURA2000
Categories: Bari | Changes and Transition | Anthropogenic impacts | In progress | National | Earth observation | Rende | Sharing Monitoring Technologies
Keywords: technology | habitat | environmental monitoring | earth observation | monitoring systems | Remote sensing
Funding: POR Puglia 2014/2020 - Axis VI "Protection of the environment and promotion of natural and cultural resources"
Period: September 2021 – December 2023
Total project budget: €319.470,00
Total budget CNR IIA: € 80.500,00
Scientific Responsible: Fabio Michele Rana
Abstract of the project
The project is aimed at Action 6.5 "Interventions for the protection and enhancement of terrestrial and marine biodiversity" - sub Action 6.5.a "Actions envisaged in the Prioritized Action Framework (PAF) and in the management plans of the Natura 2000 network". In particular, the CNR-IIA - in collaboration with and the Department of Biology of the University of Bari - aims to develop a plan for the "Monitoring of Habitats 3170* Mediterranean temporary ponds and 3150 natural eutrophic lakes with Magnopotamion vegetation o Hydrocharition”, through the integration of in situ measurements and satellite remote sensing techniques in the visible and microwave ranges. The intervention consists of monitoring measures on a sub-regional scale, relating to the sites: Bosco Difesa Grande (SIC, code IT9120008), as regards habitat 3170*; Foresta Umbra (SCI, code IT 9110004) and Zona Umide della Capitanata (SIC, IT 9110005) for habitat 3150.
Habitat 3170* is an extremely specialized wetland habitat, present in Europe and the southern Mediterranean, rich in ephemeral hydrophytes of exceptional geobotanical value. It is characterized by small therophytic and geophytic vegetation, with mainly late winter/spring phenology, linked to systems of temporary ponds with shallow waters. Despite the small size of the latter, there is often a microzoning, in concentric or mosaic areas, of the habitat 3170*. Habitat 3150 is also a humid habitat, represented by lacustrine or marshy environments with eutrophic stagnant waters rich in bases, with hydrophytic vegetation, typically azonal, which can be either submerged or floating, floating or rooting. It develops in stretches of water of variable size, sometimes also in the clearings of magnocariceti or within the clearings of helophytic communities.
In Puglia, the 3170* habitat is mainly distributed in the Salento peninsula, in the Murge area and, to a lesser extent, in the Gargano. Habitat 3150 is widely present in Gargano, Capitanata, sup-Dauno Apennines and, to a much lesser extent, in Salento (Ernandes & Marchiori, 2013; Ernandes et al., 2017; Tomaselli et al., 2020).
However, habitat 3170* is highly vulnerable, mainly due to its fragile hydrological regime and small occupied areas. The main threats are: total destruction of the habitat by mechanical means, changes in land use and intensification of agricultural activities, mobilization of water, entry of invasive, allochthonous and ruderal species. Habitat 3150, on the other hand, is particularly sensitive to eutrophication. Other threats derive from silting phenomena caused by the accumulation of sediment on the seabed, or by the artificial alteration of the water regime.
Since both habitats are subject over time to numerous pressure and threat factors, the integration of in situ measurements and analyzes with the multi-sensor satellite remote sensing methodologies on which the project approach is based constitutes an innovative and considerable potential.
In Puglia, the 3170* habitat is mainly distributed in the Salento peninsula, in the Murge area and, to a lesser extent, in the Gargano. Habitat 3150 is widely present in Gargano, Capitanata, sup-Dauno Apennines and, to a much lesser extent, in Salento (Ernandes & Marchiori, 2013; Ernandes et al., 2017; Tomaselli et al., 2020).
However, habitat 3170* is highly vulnerable, mainly due to its fragile hydrological regime and small occupied areas. The main threats are: total destruction of the habitat by mechanical means, changes in land use and intensification of agricultural activities, mobilization of water, entry of invasive, allochthonous and ruderal species. Habitat 3150, on the other hand, is particularly sensitive to eutrophication. Other threats derive from silting phenomena caused by the accumulation of sediment on the seabed, or by the artificial alteration of the water regime.
Since both habitats are subject over time to numerous pressure and threat factors, the integration of in situ measurements and analyzes with the multi-sensor satellite remote sensing methodologies on which the project approach is based constitutes an innovative and considerable potential.
The fundamental objective of the proposed action is the development of an integrated approach, through in situ data and remote sensing data for the monitoring of habitats 3170* and 3150, the most widespread and extensive, among habitats of group 31 - Stagnant waters (Annex I of the Directive 92/43 EEC), on the Apulian regional territory.
For in situ measurements, the guidelines of the "Manual for the Monitoring of Species and Habitats of Community Interest (Directive 92/43/EEC) in Italy: habitats" (ISPRA) will be followed. As far as remote sensing data is concerned, data acquired from the COSMO-SkyMed constellation of satellites of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), from the constellation of satellites of the European Space Agency (ESA) Copernicus Sentinel-2, and very high spatial resolution acquisitions will be used of the SPOT 6/7 visible/near-infrared multispectral satellite.
Sub-goals of this action are:
• Mapping of habitats 3170* and 3150 and definition of the occupied area; development and validation of an algorithm for the identification and delimitation of water bodies (colonized or not by wetland/aquatic habitats) through the use of high resolution SAR satellite images.
• Characterization of the 3170* and 3150 habitats in terms of "structure and functions".
• Survey of the hydro-morphological parameters, ie the intra- and inter-year seasonal fluctuations of the water bodies colonized by the 3170* and 3150 habitats; development of a procedure based on multi-temporal SAR techniques for the estimation of the hydroperiod of water bodies and of the variation of the extent of the flooded area within the year.
• Definition and monitoring of the presence and degree of disturbance for habitats 3170* and 3150 (e.g. reduction, fragmentation, impoverishment of habitats, diffusion of alien species), both through the collection and analysis of field data and through the diachronic analysis of remote sensing images from historical archives, based on pixel-based and data-driven supervised classification procedures, aimed at evaluating land use changes in buffer areas around water bodies.
• Analysis of the complexity and organization of the territorial mosaic of the 3170* and 3150 habitats through "landscape metrics", both from field measurements and from analyzes based on object-based knowledge-driven classification techniques that exploit, together with the spectral characteristics of the targets, including the morphological and contextual ones.
For in situ measurements, the guidelines of the "Manual for the Monitoring of Species and Habitats of Community Interest (Directive 92/43/EEC) in Italy: habitats" (ISPRA) will be followed. As far as remote sensing data is concerned, data acquired from the COSMO-SkyMed constellation of satellites of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), from the constellation of satellites of the European Space Agency (ESA) Copernicus Sentinel-2, and very high spatial resolution acquisitions will be used of the SPOT 6/7 visible/near-infrared multispectral satellite.
Sub-goals of this action are:
• Mapping of habitats 3170* and 3150 and definition of the occupied area; development and validation of an algorithm for the identification and delimitation of water bodies (colonized or not by wetland/aquatic habitats) through the use of high resolution SAR satellite images.
• Characterization of the 3170* and 3150 habitats in terms of "structure and functions".
• Survey of the hydro-morphological parameters, ie the intra- and inter-year seasonal fluctuations of the water bodies colonized by the 3170* and 3150 habitats; development of a procedure based on multi-temporal SAR techniques for the estimation of the hydroperiod of water bodies and of the variation of the extent of the flooded area within the year.
• Definition and monitoring of the presence and degree of disturbance for habitats 3170* and 3150 (e.g. reduction, fragmentation, impoverishment of habitats, diffusion of alien species), both through the collection and analysis of field data and through the diachronic analysis of remote sensing images from historical archives, based on pixel-based and data-driven supervised classification procedures, aimed at evaluating land use changes in buffer areas around water bodies.
• Analysis of the complexity and organization of the territorial mosaic of the 3170* and 3150 habitats through "landscape metrics", both from field measurements and from analyzes based on object-based knowledge-driven classification techniques that exploit, together with the spectral characteristics of the targets, including the morphological and contextual ones.
Department of Biology of the University of Bari
CNR-IIA
CNR-IIA
Maria Adam
Xavier Vicar
Sabino Maggi
Valeria Maria Federica Tomaselli
Joseph Albanese