Progress in Grassland Cover Conservation in Southern European Mountains by 2020: A Transboundary Assessment in the Iberian Peninsula with Satellite Observations (2002–2019)
Conservation and policy agendas, such as the European Biodiversity strategy, Aichi biodiversity (target 5) and Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), are overlooking the progress made in mountain grassland cover conservation by 2020, which has significant socio-ecological implications to Europe. However,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/15/3019 |
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| author | Antonio T. Monteiro Cláudia Carvalho-Santos Richard Lucas Jorge Rocha Nuno Costa Mariasilvia Giamberini Eduarda Marques da Costa Francesco Fava |
| author_facet | Antonio T. Monteiro Cláudia Carvalho-Santos Richard Lucas Jorge Rocha Nuno Costa Mariasilvia Giamberini Eduarda Marques da Costa Francesco Fava |
| author_sort | Antonio T. Monteiro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Conservation and policy agendas, such as the European Biodiversity strategy, Aichi biodiversity (target 5) and Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), are overlooking the progress made in mountain grassland cover conservation by 2020, which has significant socio-ecological implications to Europe. However, because the existing data near 2020 is scarce, the shifting character of mountain grasslands remains poorly characterized, and even less is known about the conservation outcomes because of different governance regimes and map uncertainty. Our study used Landsat satellite imagery over a transboundary mountain region in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula (Peneda-Gerês) to shed light on these aspects. Supervised classifications with a multiple classifier ensemble approach (MCE) were performed, with post classification comparison of maps established and bias-corrected to identify the trajectory in grassland cover, including protected and unprotected governance regimes. By analysing class-allocation (Shannon entropy), creating 95% confidence intervals for the area estimates, and evaluating the class-allocation thematic accuracy relationship, we characterized uncertainty in the findings. The bias-corrected estimates suggest that the positive progress claimed internationally by 2020 was not achieved. Our null hypothesis to declare a positive progress (at least equality in the proportion of grassland cover of 2019 and 2002) was rejected (X2 = 1972.1, df = 1, <i>p</i> < 0.001). The majority of grassland cover remained stable (67.1 ± 10.1 relative to 2002), but loss (−32.8 ± 7.1% relative to 2002 grasslands cover) overcame gain areas (+11.4 ± 6.6%), indicating net loss as the prevailing pattern over the transboundary study area (−21.4%). This feature prevailed at all extents of analysis (lowlands, −22.9%; mountains, −17.9%; mountains protected, −14.4%; mountains unprotected, −19.7%). The results also evidenced that mountain protected governance regimes experienced a lower decline in grassland extent compared to unprotected. Shannon entropy values were also significantly lower in correctly classified validation sites (z = −5.69, <i>p</i> = 0.0001, <i>n</i> = 708) suggesting a relationship between the quality of pixel assignment and thematic accuracy. We therefore encourage a post-2020 conservation and policy action to safeguard mountain grasslands by enhancing the role of protected governance regimes. To reduce uncertainty, grassland gain mapping requires additional remote sensing research to find the most adequate spatial and temporal data resolution to retrieve this process. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:09:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e6de475343714f0bb27f2d8a2212c46b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:09:37Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-e6de475343714f0bb27f2d8a2212c46b2023-11-22T06:07:43ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922021-08-011315301910.3390/rs13153019Progress in Grassland Cover Conservation in Southern European Mountains by 2020: A Transboundary Assessment in the Iberian Peninsula with Satellite Observations (2002–2019)Antonio T. Monteiro0Cláudia Carvalho-Santos1Richard Lucas2Jorge Rocha3Nuno Costa4Mariasilvia Giamberini5Eduarda Marques da Costa6Francesco Fava7Centro de Estudos Geográficos (CEG), Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território (IGOT), Universidade de Lisboa, Rua Edmée Marques, 1600-276 Lisboa, PortugalCBMA—Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, PortugalDepartment of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Aberystwyth, Penglais, Aberystwyth SY23, UKCentro de Estudos Geográficos (CEG), Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território (IGOT), Universidade de Lisboa, Rua Edmée Marques, 1600-276 Lisboa, PortugalCentro de Estudos Geográficos (CEG), Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território (IGOT), Universidade de Lisboa, Rua Edmée Marques, 1600-276 Lisboa, PortugalIstituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Moruzzi 2, 56124 Pisa, ItalyCentro de Estudos Geográficos (CEG), Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território (IGOT), Universidade de Lisboa, Rua Edmée Marques, 1600-276 Lisboa, PortugalDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy (ESP), Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, ItalyConservation and policy agendas, such as the European Biodiversity strategy, Aichi biodiversity (target 5) and Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), are overlooking the progress made in mountain grassland cover conservation by 2020, which has significant socio-ecological implications to Europe. However, because the existing data near 2020 is scarce, the shifting character of mountain grasslands remains poorly characterized, and even less is known about the conservation outcomes because of different governance regimes and map uncertainty. Our study used Landsat satellite imagery over a transboundary mountain region in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula (Peneda-Gerês) to shed light on these aspects. Supervised classifications with a multiple classifier ensemble approach (MCE) were performed, with post classification comparison of maps established and bias-corrected to identify the trajectory in grassland cover, including protected and unprotected governance regimes. By analysing class-allocation (Shannon entropy), creating 95% confidence intervals for the area estimates, and evaluating the class-allocation thematic accuracy relationship, we characterized uncertainty in the findings. The bias-corrected estimates suggest that the positive progress claimed internationally by 2020 was not achieved. Our null hypothesis to declare a positive progress (at least equality in the proportion of grassland cover of 2019 and 2002) was rejected (X2 = 1972.1, df = 1, <i>p</i> < 0.001). The majority of grassland cover remained stable (67.1 ± 10.1 relative to 2002), but loss (−32.8 ± 7.1% relative to 2002 grasslands cover) overcame gain areas (+11.4 ± 6.6%), indicating net loss as the prevailing pattern over the transboundary study area (−21.4%). This feature prevailed at all extents of analysis (lowlands, −22.9%; mountains, −17.9%; mountains protected, −14.4%; mountains unprotected, −19.7%). The results also evidenced that mountain protected governance regimes experienced a lower decline in grassland extent compared to unprotected. Shannon entropy values were also significantly lower in correctly classified validation sites (z = −5.69, <i>p</i> = 0.0001, <i>n</i> = 708) suggesting a relationship between the quality of pixel assignment and thematic accuracy. We therefore encourage a post-2020 conservation and policy action to safeguard mountain grasslands by enhancing the role of protected governance regimes. To reduce uncertainty, grassland gain mapping requires additional remote sensing research to find the most adequate spatial and temporal data resolution to retrieve this process.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/15/3019grasslands cover mappingmultiple classifier ensemblebias-corrected area estimatesShannon entropy uncertaintyconservation policy |
| spellingShingle | Antonio T. Monteiro Cláudia Carvalho-Santos Richard Lucas Jorge Rocha Nuno Costa Mariasilvia Giamberini Eduarda Marques da Costa Francesco Fava Progress in Grassland Cover Conservation in Southern European Mountains by 2020: A Transboundary Assessment in the Iberian Peninsula with Satellite Observations (2002–2019) Remote Sensing grasslands cover mapping multiple classifier ensemble bias-corrected area estimates Shannon entropy uncertainty conservation policy |
| title | Progress in Grassland Cover Conservation in Southern European Mountains by 2020: A Transboundary Assessment in the Iberian Peninsula with Satellite Observations (2002–2019) |
| title_full | Progress in Grassland Cover Conservation in Southern European Mountains by 2020: A Transboundary Assessment in the Iberian Peninsula with Satellite Observations (2002–2019) |
| title_fullStr | Progress in Grassland Cover Conservation in Southern European Mountains by 2020: A Transboundary Assessment in the Iberian Peninsula with Satellite Observations (2002–2019) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Progress in Grassland Cover Conservation in Southern European Mountains by 2020: A Transboundary Assessment in the Iberian Peninsula with Satellite Observations (2002–2019) |
| title_short | Progress in Grassland Cover Conservation in Southern European Mountains by 2020: A Transboundary Assessment in the Iberian Peninsula with Satellite Observations (2002–2019) |
| title_sort | progress in grassland cover conservation in southern european mountains by 2020 a transboundary assessment in the iberian peninsula with satellite observations 2002 2019 |
| topic | grasslands cover mapping multiple classifier ensemble bias-corrected area estimates Shannon entropy uncertainty conservation policy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/15/3019 |
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