Workpackages of Subproject S01

Workpackage WP01.1

Dr. M. Schmidt, DLR - German Aerospace Centre; Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
michael.schmidt@dlr.de

Prof. Dr. T. Hoffman, IPC- Botany Department; University of Cape Town, RSA
thoffman@botzoo.uct.ac.za

Vegetation Monitoring along the Transect and Assessment of new Transect Extensions

Short description:The aim of this workpackage is the monitoring of current vegetation dynamics along the transect using high resolution remote sensing imagery. Furthermore continued remote sensing based vegetation mapping is performed on the new E-W transects in Namibia as well as on the transect extensions in South Africa. The assessment of biomass at selected biomes along the transect and the annalysis of the spatio-structural diversity of trees in Northern Namibian savannas are additional objectives within this workpackage

Workpackage WP01.2

Dr. M. Schmidt, DLR - German Aerospace Centre; Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
michael.schmidt@dlr.de

Prof. Dr. B. Hewitson, EGS - Environmental & Geographical Science; University of Cape Town, RSA
hewitson@egs.uct.ac.za

Continue Maintenance of BIOTA South GIS, support Interoperability with Climatic Databases and Capacity Building

Short description:The permanent update of BIOTA South GIS with concurrent remote sensing and GIS data for use in all disciplines and the homogenisation of climatic databases and climate model output with the BIOTA South GIS are the main objectives of this workpackage. Moreover "Capacity Building" in the fields of remote sensing, geostatistics, bioclimatic modelling will be provided for German and African partners.

Workpackage WP01.3

Prof. Dr. B. Hewitson, EGS - Environmental & Geographical Science; University of Cape Town, RSA
hewitson@egs.uct.ac.za

Dr. Daniela Jacob, MPI - Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany
jacob@dkrz.de

Regional Scale Vegetation Changes, Simulation of Future Climate and Vegetation Response

Short description:The analysis of the relation between vegetation characteristics and climate over the last decades (e.g. by means of moderate resolution remote sensing) is the crucial point within this workpackage. The reconstruction of past climate as well as the simulation of future climate, vegetation response and interaction with climatic forcing are further objectives. Remote sensing based monitoring of fog in the Namib desert will be contributed by a PhD.

Workpackage WP01.4

Dr. M. Schmidt, DLR - German Aerospace Centre; Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
michael.schmidt@dlr.de

Dr. N. Allsopp, ARC - Agricultural Research Council; Pretoria, RSA
nallsopp@uwc.ac.za

Multi-scale remote sensing Detection and Analysis of Human induced Changes in Land Surface and Vegetation Characteristics over Space and Time

Short description:The task of this workpackage is to enhance the understanding of human induced changes in vegetation, land cover and thus biodiversity by analysing the formation processes history of human induced spatio-temporal patterns in land cover/vegetation characteristics by change detection techniques. The influence of land-use on vegetation characteristics along a latitudinal transect and an ecotone in the Namaqualand-Bushmanland area is of special interest.

Workpackage WP01.5

Dr. M. Schmidt, DLR - German Aerospace Centre; Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
michael.schmidt@dlr.de

Remote Sensing of Biodiversity Management Tools and Review of Remote Sensing based Indicators for use in Decision Making of Policy and Biodiversity Management

Short description: The review of remote sensing based indicators (partly developed in previous workpackages) for use in decision making support as well as a remote sensing based survey of medium-scale restoration and management experiments are conducted with this workpackage. The extrapolation of environmental landscape characteristics of existing restoration areas along the transect intends to support the choice of potential future restoration areas.