Monitoring protected areas from space

Abstract

Protected areas act as refuges for species and ecological processes that cannot persist in intensely modified landscapes and seascapes and provide space for natural evolution and future ecological restoration. This chapter first highlights the range of opportunities existing for space-borne environmental information to support monitoring efforts of terrestrial protected area worldwide. It then draws attention to the opportunities existing for satellite-based information to support the monitoring of marine protected areas. The chapter also discusses future opportunities for satellite-based data to support protected area management in the terrestrial and oceanic realms, highlighting some of the new technological developments and recent research that could orientate future efforts to further develop remote sensing-based monitoring tools. Finally, it reviews current and future limitations, which need to be addressed to realistically implement the effective and long-term use of satellite data to support protected area management worldwide.