Remote Sensing in Sierra Nevada: From Abiotic Processes to Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functions and Services

Abstract

During the last decades, remote sensing has changed the way humans observe and understand the Earth system. The repeated and increasingly detailed observations made from satellite platforms and other remote sensing procedures have revolutionized research, particularly in the atmospheric and oceanographic sciences but also in the biophysical sciences. This chapter presents a systematic literature review of the different ways in which remote sensing has been applied in Sierra Nevada, Spain. Studies ranged from basic research to how remote sensing is actually contributing to management in this mountain biosphere reserve. The chapter is structured using the ecosystem services cascade as a framework, i.e., from studies on abiotic (i.e., geophysical, atmospheric, cryospheric, and hydrological) processes to research on biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services. The number of remote sensing studies in Sierra Nevada is quickly growing but still relatively scarce (only 65 records). Most of this research was either applied or use-oriented research and found to be potentially useful to assess biodiversity conservation status and ecosystem services, indeed it frequently contained recommendations for the management of the protected area. Hence, there is an expected increase in the interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary application of remote sensing to research in Sierra Nevada.