From SARA (Germany)*) (= Satellitengestütztes Raummonitoring) to SASMO**) (=Satellite based spatial monitoring for Europe) *) This cooperative project, funded by the Brandenburg Ministry for Economic Affairswas aiming at development of space technology to become mature for standard services on a special market. **) The results obtained from the SARA Project are proposed to be extended towards more habitat types, more biogeographical regions (more countries) and to be improved by hyperspectral sensors (ENMAP).
Proposed Project SASMO (=Satellite based spatial monitoring for Europe) General Objective: Improvement of habitat monitoring for the Natura 2000 framework of the EU by satellite remote sensing. Proposing Partners: LUP, member of, support by GFZ and other members; customers: Landesumweltamt Brandenburg and further environmental administrations; Desirable Partners: Institutions or organisations in charge of Natura 2000 in other biogeographical regions out of the continental.
Requirements by the EU Habitat Directive: Initial Situation An initial description and characterization of the selected sites of special importance about 10 % of Europe s territory according to special rules is required; Monitoring and repeated evaluationof these sites according to special rules is required in a rotation cycle of 6 years; The costof this procedure will be highand the coverage of this cost is not quite clear yet; The potential of satellite remote sensing for this purpose, both in terms of technology and economy is not exploited yet to its maximum extent; By the project SARA 04 a mature methodology for evaluation of habitat sites has been developed; it is based on very highresolution satellite data, knowledge based automated image processing and GIS data; it has been tested successfully for various habitat types in the continental biogeographic region.
Goals and Intentions: Acceleration of habitat monitoring; Achievement of more efficiency with habitat monitoring; Contribution to define international procedural standards; Contribution to evaluation of other methods; Improvement of methods; Improvement of international cooperation; Introduction of innovative technology (ENMAP); Support of technology transfer for new space technology, to be started by a best practice project.
Data to be used for Evaluation and Monitoring Purposes according to the Habitat Directive of the EU N Quickbird-Satellite Data Digital biotope type- or land use map Sample plots in the field
Results for Monitoring according EU-Habitat Directive (A. FRICK, 2006) Monitoring of dry European heath (Habitat Type 4030 und 2310) 11 Area No..: No. 10 No. 11 9.5% 48.8% 26.6% 41.3% 27% 36.2% dominated by moss Moss 19.8% 0.7% 7.7% open soil 1.0% 1.1% 0.3% 26.2% 18.5% 23.2% No. 9 in % of total area Woody vegetation Heath Grass Area in m² 24 471.9 103 821.3 27 859.0 Rest: Shaddow Disturbances: A C B Moss, Sand and Grass may be masked by higher Vegetation! 9 10
Introduction of Hyperspectral Sensors and New Satellite Systems (ENMAP): Habitat monitoring is a most challenging and ambitious task, both in general and in particular with respect to satellite remote sensing. That is why much progress can be expected from the introduction of the powerful extension of spectral information by hyperspectral technology. Only four bands of the Quickbird satellite will be replaced by comprehensive spectral measurements for each pixel.
Some expectations: GFZ, Potsdam, the scientific key institution for the ENMAP hyperspectral satellite mission is a member of. Support by this powerful institution for the SASMO project is granted. The existing SARA evaluation procedure, emphasizing knowledge based classificationmethods, can be adapted to the new sensorsand more European habitat types. The SASMO project will develop improved evaluation techniques, based on airborne hyperspectral images. The start of the ENMAP satellite is planned immediately after the SASMO project has developed and tested the needed evaluation methods. Experiences may be transferred to other applications.