Improved monitoring of the spatio-temporal diversity of mangrove trees and distribution patterns

In an article coordinated by Valéry Gond, from the Forests and Societies UPR, this gap is filled by presenting a review of the challenges and limitations in assessing the current state of species diversity.
The authors conclude that species discrimination based on remote sensing techniques is still limited by atmospheric contamination and tidal fluctuations. The lack of precise information on the spatio-temporal evolution of species diversity and forest structure further reduces the understanding of functional indicators and the predictive power of modelling approaches.
Nevertheless, multi-source remote sensing techniques could apparently capture landscape heterogeneity and support systematic sampling plans. Spatially balanced (systematic) training and validation data are needed to compile robust spatio-temporal information, enabling reliable predictions to optimise restoration efforts.
Systematic sampling of spatio-temporal ecological information is vital for monitoring the historical state of mangroves, detecting their degradation and predicting future species distribution patterns that are generally crucial for restoration, and in particular for rehabilitating species diversity.