The LifeWatch Wallonia-Brussels team launches new webGIS to help biodiversity research
On this new webGIS, thematic information derived from remote sensing data can be viewed: pan-European data on the vegetation cycle, snow probability, solar energy and fire frequency.
In the framework of LifeWatch the Wallonia-Brussels Federation is financing a research program within the Earth and life Institute (UCL). The LifeWatch Wallonia-Brussels (LW-WB) team has a strong experience in land cover and land use mapping through remote sensing methods and GIS analysis.
To share this experience with the biodiversity community and to help biodiversity research, the LW-WB team launched a webGIS, where thematic information derived from remote sensing data is provided. On this webGIS the vegetation cycle, snow indices, solar energy and fire indices can be viewed in an interactive manner. The data are covering all of Europe.
The vegetation cycle is approximated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) extracted from the SPOT-VEGETATION sensor. The NDVI is sensitive to the vegetation cover and its photosynthetic activity. On the webGIS the long term average (week by week) NDVI can be viewed, as well as the minimum and maximum NDVI. Anomalies in NDVI will become available soon.
The snow indices are derived from 13 years of Earth observation using MODIS sensors. On the webGIS the long term average (per date) of snow probability can be viewed, as well as the start, the end and the average duration of the snow period, and snow anomalies per date.
The solar energy is converted by the vegetation or dissipates as heat. On the webGIS the long term average (per week) of solar power (W/m²) can be viewed. Anomalies in solar energy will become available soon.
The fire indices are based on the MODIS burnt area products since 2000. On the webGIS the long term average (year by year) of the extent of burnt area (%) can be viewed, as well as the average extent of burnt area (%), the probability of fire (frequency of fires) and unusual fire events per year.
All the above mentioned products will be available for download in a near future.
To share this experience with the biodiversity community and to help biodiversity research, the LW-WB team launched a webGIS, where thematic information derived from remote sensing data is provided. On this webGIS the vegetation cycle, snow indices, solar energy and fire indices can be viewed in an interactive manner. The data are covering all of Europe.
The vegetation cycle is approximated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) extracted from the SPOT-VEGETATION sensor. The NDVI is sensitive to the vegetation cover and its photosynthetic activity. On the webGIS the long term average (week by week) NDVI can be viewed, as well as the minimum and maximum NDVI. Anomalies in NDVI will become available soon.
The snow indices are derived from 13 years of Earth observation using MODIS sensors. On the webGIS the long term average (per date) of snow probability can be viewed, as well as the start, the end and the average duration of the snow period, and snow anomalies per date.
The solar energy is converted by the vegetation or dissipates as heat. On the webGIS the long term average (per week) of solar power (W/m²) can be viewed. Anomalies in solar energy will become available soon.
The fire indices are based on the MODIS burnt area products since 2000. On the webGIS the long term average (year by year) of the extent of burnt area (%) can be viewed, as well as the average extent of burnt area (%), the probability of fire (frequency of fires) and unusual fire events per year.
All the above mentioned products will be available for download in a near future.
