Assessing the Dynamics of Plant Species Invasion in Eastern-Mediterranean Coastal Dunes Using Cellular Automata Modeling and Satellite Time-Series Analyses
Biological invasion is a major contributor to local and global biodiversity loss, in particular in dune ecosystems. In this study we evaluated current and future cover expansion of the invasive plant species, <i>Heterotheca subaxillaris,</i> and <i>Acacia saligna</i>, in the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/4/1014 |
| _version_ | 1797476779378606080 |
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| author | Giorgi Kozhoridze Eyal Ben Dor Marcelo Sternberg |
| author_facet | Giorgi Kozhoridze Eyal Ben Dor Marcelo Sternberg |
| author_sort | Giorgi Kozhoridze |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Biological invasion is a major contributor to local and global biodiversity loss, in particular in dune ecosystems. In this study we evaluated current and future cover expansion of the invasive plant species, <i>Heterotheca subaxillaris,</i> and <i>Acacia saligna</i>, in the Mediterranean coastal plain of Israel. This is the first effort to quantify current surface cover of the focal species in this area. We reconstructed plant cover for 1990–2020 using Landsat time series and modeled future potential expansion using cellular automata (CA) modeling. The overall accuracy of the results varied in the range 85–95% and the simulated plant growth using CA varied between 74% and 84%, for <i>A. saligna</i> and <i>H. subaxillaris</i>, respectively. The surface area covered by <i>H. subaxillaris</i> in 2020, 45 years since its introduction, was approximately 81 km<sup>2</sup>. <i>Acacia saligna</i> covered an area of 74.6 km<sup>2</sup>, while the vacant area available for potential spread of these two species was 630 km<sup>2</sup>. <i>Heterotheca subaxillaris</i> showed a mean expansion rate of 107% per decade from 2000 to 2020, while the mean expansion rate of <i>A. saligna</i> was lower, ranging between 48% and 54% within the same time period. Furthermore, based on the plant expansion model simulation we estimated that <i>A. saligna</i> and <i>H. subaxillaris</i> will continue to spread by 60% per decade, on average, from 2020 to 2070, with a maximum growth rate of 80% per decade during 2040–2050. According to future expansion projections, the species will cover all open vacant areas by 2070 (95% of the total vacant area) and most areas will be shared by both species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:08:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cb473f6ba8ff46049583225199c6f533 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:08:33Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-cb473f6ba8ff46049583225199c6f5332023-11-23T21:55:37ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922022-02-01144101410.3390/rs14041014Assessing the Dynamics of Plant Species Invasion in Eastern-Mediterranean Coastal Dunes Using Cellular Automata Modeling and Satellite Time-Series AnalysesGiorgi Kozhoridze0Eyal Ben Dor1Marcelo Sternberg2School of Plant Sciences & Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, IsraelDepartment of Geography and Human Environment, The Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, IsraelSchool of Plant Sciences & Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, IsraelBiological invasion is a major contributor to local and global biodiversity loss, in particular in dune ecosystems. In this study we evaluated current and future cover expansion of the invasive plant species, <i>Heterotheca subaxillaris,</i> and <i>Acacia saligna</i>, in the Mediterranean coastal plain of Israel. This is the first effort to quantify current surface cover of the focal species in this area. We reconstructed plant cover for 1990–2020 using Landsat time series and modeled future potential expansion using cellular automata (CA) modeling. The overall accuracy of the results varied in the range 85–95% and the simulated plant growth using CA varied between 74% and 84%, for <i>A. saligna</i> and <i>H. subaxillaris</i>, respectively. The surface area covered by <i>H. subaxillaris</i> in 2020, 45 years since its introduction, was approximately 81 km<sup>2</sup>. <i>Acacia saligna</i> covered an area of 74.6 km<sup>2</sup>, while the vacant area available for potential spread of these two species was 630 km<sup>2</sup>. <i>Heterotheca subaxillaris</i> showed a mean expansion rate of 107% per decade from 2000 to 2020, while the mean expansion rate of <i>A. saligna</i> was lower, ranging between 48% and 54% within the same time period. Furthermore, based on the plant expansion model simulation we estimated that <i>A. saligna</i> and <i>H. subaxillaris</i> will continue to spread by 60% per decade, on average, from 2020 to 2070, with a maximum growth rate of 80% per decade during 2040–2050. According to future expansion projections, the species will cover all open vacant areas by 2070 (95% of the total vacant area) and most areas will be shared by both species.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/4/1014<i>Acacia saligna</i>cellular automata modelingcoastal dunesgrid-based spatial analysis<i>Heterotheca subaxillaris</i>invasive species |
| spellingShingle | Giorgi Kozhoridze Eyal Ben Dor Marcelo Sternberg Assessing the Dynamics of Plant Species Invasion in Eastern-Mediterranean Coastal Dunes Using Cellular Automata Modeling and Satellite Time-Series Analyses Remote Sensing <i>Acacia saligna</i> cellular automata modeling coastal dunes grid-based spatial analysis <i>Heterotheca subaxillaris</i> invasive species |
| title | Assessing the Dynamics of Plant Species Invasion in Eastern-Mediterranean Coastal Dunes Using Cellular Automata Modeling and Satellite Time-Series Analyses |
| title_full | Assessing the Dynamics of Plant Species Invasion in Eastern-Mediterranean Coastal Dunes Using Cellular Automata Modeling and Satellite Time-Series Analyses |
| title_fullStr | Assessing the Dynamics of Plant Species Invasion in Eastern-Mediterranean Coastal Dunes Using Cellular Automata Modeling and Satellite Time-Series Analyses |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing the Dynamics of Plant Species Invasion in Eastern-Mediterranean Coastal Dunes Using Cellular Automata Modeling and Satellite Time-Series Analyses |
| title_short | Assessing the Dynamics of Plant Species Invasion in Eastern-Mediterranean Coastal Dunes Using Cellular Automata Modeling and Satellite Time-Series Analyses |
| title_sort | assessing the dynamics of plant species invasion in eastern mediterranean coastal dunes using cellular automata modeling and satellite time series analyses |
| topic | <i>Acacia saligna</i> cellular automata modeling coastal dunes grid-based spatial analysis <i>Heterotheca subaxillaris</i> invasive species |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/4/1014 |
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