International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation 37 (2015) 7–16 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation jo ur nal home page: www.elsevier.com/locate/jag Remote sensing for mapping natural habitats and their conservation status – New opportunities and challenges Christina Corbane a,∗ , Stefan Lang b , Kyle Pipkins c , Samuel Alleaume a , Michel Deshayes d , Virginia Elena García Millán e , Thomas Strasser b , Jeroen Vanden Borre f , Spanhove Toon f , Förster Michael c a Irstea – UMR TETIS, 500, rue Jean-Franc ¸ ois Breton, 34093 Montpellier, France b Interfaculty Department of Geoinformatics – Z GIS, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria c Geoinformation in Environmental Planning Lab, Technical University of Berlin, D-10623 Berlin, Germany d GEO Secretariat, 7 bis avenue de la Paix, CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland e EFTAS-Fernerkundung GmbH, Oststrasse, 2-18, D-48145 Münster, Germany f Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Kliniekstraat 25, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: Available online 4 December 2014 Keywords: Satellite image analysis Earth observation data Natural and semi-natural habitats European Habitats Directive a b s t r a c t Safeguarding the diversity of natural and semi-natural habitats in Europe is one of the aims set out by the Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora) and one of the targets of the European 2020 Biodiversity Strategy, and is to be accomplished by maintaining a favourable conservation status. To reach this aim a high-level understanding of the distribution and conditions of these habitats is needed. Remote sensing can considerably contribute to habitat mapping and their observation over time. Several European projects and a large number of scientific studies have addressed the issue of mapping and monitoring natural habitats via remote sensing and the deriving of indicators on their conservation status. The multitude of utilized remote sensing sensors and applied methods used in these studies, however, impede a common understanding of what is achievable with current state-of-the-art technologies. The aim of this paper is to provide a synthesis on what is currently feasible in terms of detection and monitoring of natural and semi-natural habitats with remote sensing. To focus this endeavour, we concentrate on those studies aimed at direct mapping of individual habitat types or discriminating between different types of habitats occurring in relatively large, spatially contiguous units. By this we uncover the potential of remote sensing to better understand the distribution of habitats and the assessment of their conservation status in Europe. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Introduction Biological diversity underpins a variety of ecological functions as well as the services provided by ecosystems (Isbell et al., 2011). In recognition of this importance, the European Union adopted the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC, short: HabDir) in order to halt the loss of biodiversity and its terrestrial and marine habitats. Since ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +33 4 67 59 39 65. E-mail addresses: christina.corbane@teledetection.fr (C. Corbane), stefan.lang@sbg.ac.at (S. Lang), kyle.pipkins@mailbox.tu-berlin.de (K. Pipkins), samuel.alleaume@teledetection.fr (S. Alleaume), michel.deshayes@teledetection.fr (M. Deshayes), virginia.garcia@eftas.com (V.E. García Millán), thomas.strasser@sbg.ac.at (T. Strasser), jeroen.vandenborre@inbo.be (J. Vanden Borre), toon.spanhove@inbo.be (S. Toon), michael.foerster@tu-berlin.de (F. Michael). 1992, the HabDir has set the rules for developing a coherent eco- logical network in Europe, called Natura 2000 (EC, 1992). The aim of the network is to assure the long-term survival of Europe’s most valuable and threatened species as well as natural and semi-natural habitats. To oversee its implementation, Article 17 of the HabDir imposes on EU member states an obligation to report in six-year intervals on the conservation status of the habitats of Community interest. In addition, the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy calls upon mem- ber states to digitally map and assess biodiversity and ecosystem services. Given their scope, these measures would greatly benefit from the development of more cost- and time-effective monitoring strategies (Bock et al., 2005). Remote sensing has become an essential tool for evaluating the implementation of environmental policies (Mayer and Lopez, 2011). Together with standardized ground plots and regular in situ http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2014.11.005 0303-2434/© 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.