Use of Remote Sensing in ecological research: preliminary results

The spatial distribution of birds is an important parameter in the analysis of terrestrial systems; in this study its relationship with satellite-derived vegetation data has been demonstrated. In the present work four Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images were used to obtain the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Leaf Water Content Index (LWCI), plus three structure indices based on a land use map. A hierarchical cluster analysis of these indices allowed the identification of four main clusters that were compared to the results of a set of vegetation and ornithological samples, taken in the period of May-June 1997. The procedure used in this study has allowed the individuation of environmental typologies with ecological relevance from satellite imagery. The typification of the environment leads to the formulation of faunistic prediction models in terms of ornithic composition. The avifauna predictability permits, at last, the set-up of proceedings for the environment quality evaluation in terrestrial systems, whenever standard scores for the species would be stated.