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Assessing the connectivity of riparian forests across a gradient of human disturbance: the potential of Copernicus "Riparian Zones" in two hydroregions
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Orientador(es)
Resumo(s)
The connectivity of riparian forests can be used as a proxy for the capacity of riparian zones
to provide ecological functions, goods and services. In this study, we aim to test the potential of
the freely available Copernicus “Riparian Zones” dataset to characterize the connectivity of riparian
forests located in two European bioclimatic regions—the Mediterranean and the Central Baltic
hydroregions—when subject to a gradient of human disturbance characterized by land-use/landcover
and hydromorphological pressures. We extracted riparian patches using the Copernicus
“Actual Riparian Zone” (ARZ) layer and calculated connectivity using the Integral Index of Connectivity
(IIC). We then compared the results with a “Manual Riparian Zone” (MRZ) layer, produced by
manually digitizing riparian vegetation patches over a very high-resolution World Imagery layer.
Our research evidenced reduced forest connectivity in both hydroregions, with the exception of Least
Disturbed sites in the Central Baltic hydroregion. The ARZ layer exhibited overall suitability to
assess the connectivity of riparian forests in the Central Baltic hydroregion, while the Mediterranean
hydroregion displayed a consistent pattern of connectivity overestimation in all levels of human
disturbance. To address this, we recommend some improvements in the spatial resolution and
thematic accuracy of the Copernicus ARZ layer
Descrição
Palavras-chave
Copernicus land monitoring service hydromorphology land-use/land-cover riparian zones connectivity
Contexto Educativo
Citação
Forests 2021, 12, 674
Editora
MDPI