High-resolution satellite remote sensing: a new frontier for biodiversity exploration in Indian Himalayan forests

Sanjay Gairolaa*, Şerban Procheşa & Duccio Rocchinib a School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , 4000 , South Africa b Fondazione Edmund Mach, Research and Innovation Centre, Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology , GIS and Remote Sensing Unit , 38010 , S. Michele all'Adige , TN , Italy * E-mail: drsanjaygairola@gmail.com gairola@ukzn.ac.za Satellite imagery with fine spectral and spatial resolution and high temporal resolution provides a unique opportunity to map and monitor biodiversity. The aim of this article is (i) to review the state of the use of high-resolution remote sensing for ecological studies in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) and (ii) to suggest further potential avenues of research in the region using this technology. It has been recognized that the recent improvements in remote sensing have enabled researchers to categorize and spatially map species and communities and to detect vegetation types based on ecological gradients and environmental drivers. Across the globe, the use of current high-resolution imagery in vegetation studies is increasing due to their improved efficiency, as fine-scale vegetation information is needed for both theoretical understanding of the processes involved and conservation towards the maintenance of ecological functions of natural ecosystems. Remote sensing is particularly useful in the IHR, where field-based mapping of forest vegetation and land cover using conventional techniques is a cost- and time-intensive effort. Mapping fine-scale patterns of tree species using high-resolution remote-sensing data has important implications for the understanding and monitoring of ecosystem function and biodiversity patterns in forests.