The first satellite-based forest monitor for Germany was published today
September 8, 2021
CoExist: Monitoring environmental-related transhumance patterns and assessing the risk for population displacement
December 5, 2021
In a recently published study, scientists from the University Bayreuth, in collaboration with RSS, investigated the impact of tourism and urban island development on ground-associated invertebrate biodiversity and habitat composition on oceanic islands of the Republic of Maldives.
The findings show that tourism and urban land use have a drastic effect on the biodiversity. On average, 48 percent fewer insect species were documented on Maldivian islands with progressive urbanization than on uninhabited islands, and as many as 66 percent fewer insect species were documented on tourist islands.
(Featured Image: Sebastian Steibl)
Read the full publication in Royal Society Open Science here.
An analysis of very high resolution SkySat satellite data provides insight into how an island's natural ecosystem is altered by touristical or urban land use.
The extent of human settlements and tourism infrstructure as well as the fragmentation of natural vegetation and ecosystems were mapped and it was found that urbanization as well as tourism-related land use affect reducing numerous insect habitats.
A press release can be found (German) here.
