CZU - Czech Republic
CZU contributes to developing and applying innovative EO-based tools for mapping and monitoring ecosystem changes.
CZU is particularly interested in monitoring forest, grasslands, and wetlands, which are most valuable ecosystems threatened by ongoing climate change.
CZU works in close collaboration with the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic (AOPK), which is responsible for habitat mapping and providing of ecosystem maps of the Czech Republic.
They conduct annual habitat distribution mapping and quality assessments. These field works are a source for a Consolidated ecosystem layer, and Nature 2000 Habitat Mapping data, serving as a valuable resource for calibration and validation within the project.
By contributing high-quality national data and expertise in habitat monitoring, CZU supports the broader objectives of the project, ensuring robust, science-driven approaches to tracking ecosystem changes and both national and global levels.
Field data collection on ecosystems is time-consuming and only allows for full replication across the whole Czech Republic in a 12-year cycle.
From the WEED project, CSU expects more frequent updates on the habitat database, enabling more up-to-date knowledge of ecosystems and their changes. One of the main challenges we are interested in is under-canopy mapping, where remote sensing must be refined to enhance thematic resolution and improve the monitoring of ecosystems that are difficult to assess.
