How remote sensing supports economic evaluation of mangrove ecosystems

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Knowing the real value of an ecosystem service is playing an important role in our life, it can be an important feedback signal to the management of human activities in natural ecosystem. Remote sensing data have been used in a wide range of applications such as land cover, biodiversity, species richness monitoring, inventory of forest quality and quantity. However, their potential application in valuation of ecosystem goods and services has not been fully realized. This paper demonstrates the state of the art of utilizing remote sensing data in estimating economic value of natural ecosystem services with a particular emphasis on mangrove forest ecosystem services. We discuss the potential and limitations of using remote sensing in economic evaluation of mangrove ecosystem services in order to support to temporal and regional transferability of evaluation methodologies. We further talk about how remote sensing technology can be integrated in long-term studies, enabling both monitoring and forecasting the value of mangrove ecosystem services.