{"id":9718,"date":"2023-12-08T18:04:09","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T22:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/nasa-helps-study-one-of-the-worlds-most-diverse-ecosystems\/"},"modified":"2023-12-08T18:04:09","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T22:04:09","slug":"nasa-helps-study-one-of-the-worlds-most-diverse-ecosystems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/nasa-helps-study-one-of-the-worlds-most-diverse-ecosystems\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA Helps Study One of the World\u2019s Most Diverse Ecosystems"},"content":{"rendered":"

NASA Helps Study One of the World\u2019s Most Diverse Ecosystems<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n
Researchers with the BioSCape campaign collect vegetation data from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. The field work, which took place in October and November, was part of an international collaboration that could help inform the capabilities of future satellite missions aimed at studying plants and animals.<\/div>\n
Adam Wilson<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

NASA satellite and airborne tools aid an international team studying biodiversity on land and in the water around South Africa.<\/em><\/p>\n

An international team of researchers spent October and November 2023 in the field studying one of the world\u2019s most biologically diverse areas \u2013 South Africa\u2019s Greater Cape Floristic Region. As part of the effort, researchers used NASA airborne and space-based instruments to gather complementary data to better understand the unique aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in this region. Their findings will inform the capabilities of future satellite missions aimed at studying plants and animals.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe food we eat, the clean water that we drink, and the air we breathe comes from the diversity of life on planet Earth,\u201d said Erin Hestir of the University of California, Merced, and the campaign\u2019s lead aquatic researcher. \u201cAs we lose species, we\u2019re potentially losing Earth\u2019s ability to sustain healthy human societies and provide healthy food and clean water for all.\u201d Known as the Biodiversity Survey of the Cape (BioSCape<\/a>), the effort is a large collaboration led in the U.S. by NASA, the University at Buffalo in New York, and the University of California, Merced. It is led in South Africa by the University of Cape Town and the South African Environmental Observation Network.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n
The Greater Cape Floristic Region, where the BioSCape field work took place, is outlined in dark green in this map of the southwestern tip of South Africa. The region is a biodiversity hotspot that includes environments dominated by a shrubland called fynbos.<\/div>\n
NASA Earth Observatory<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Greater Cape Floristic Region covers about 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) on South Africa\u2019s southwestern tip. Home to many plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth, the biodiversity hotspot is recognized as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The area also includes several UNESCO Biosphere reserves to protect unique terrestrial and aquatic environments.<\/p>\n

The BioSCape team is testing how well airborne and satellite remote sensing can characterize the region\u2019s terrestrial, freshwater, and marine biodiversity. Space- and airplane-based instruments can cover more ground \u2013 and do so faster as well as more frequently \u2013 than crews in the field. This has a wide range of practical applications, from mapping the presence of invasive plants to better understanding the drivers of harmful algal blooms.<\/p>\n

A Challenging Area<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cSouth Africa is a hugely biodiverse place, but it\u2019s a very challenging environment in which to do remote sensing research,\u201d said Anabelle Cardoso, BioSCape science team manager at the University at Buffalo and the University of Cape Town. \u201cWith so many plant and animal species packed into a relatively small area, using remote sensing instruments to differentiate between species living in close proximity can be difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three of the BioSCape aircraft sensors are imaging spectrometers<\/a>, which observe different wavelengths of visible and infrared light reflected or emitted by various materials on Earth\u2019s surface and in the atmosphere. Each material has its own spectral fingerprint, enabling researchers to tell what they are observing.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n
A researcher attaches a sensor to a tree as part of the BioSCape campaign in the Greater Cape Floristic Region in South Africa.<\/div>\n
Adam Wilson<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n
Scientists collect biological samples from South Africa\u2019s Walker Bay as part of the BioSCape campaign. The information from the samples will help to quantify the biodiversity of the bay.<\/div>\n
Otto Whitehead (Fishwater Films)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t