Description
The main objective of WICLAP project is to prepare methodology for assessing impact of climate change and air pollution on forest and tundra ecosystems, which will be based on multisource data, including Earth Observation images, ground measurements and meteorological datasets. The main project outcome will be the methodology for estimating vegetation condition due to climate and air pollution changes. It will be based on results of analysis of multisource satellite / aerial images, ground spectroradiometric measurements and measurements of content of heavy metals in plants, compared with analysis of meteorological parameters influencing plant growth conditions. Analysis of multi-resolution and multi-temporal satellite data will be performed in order to derive relations between EO-based indices characterizing plant status and meteorological situation. The results of analysis will be validated through extensive ground measurements collected through growing seasons. They will be also verified through analyses of impact of climate disturbances and air pollution levels on plant condition under environmental control. Ecologists, forest management authorities and environmental groups / bodies responsible for management of vulnerable ecosystems will be the main beneficiaries of the project. The bilateral relation will be strengthened through joint work on similar datasets, exchange of methodology for analysing Earth Observation data, preparation of joint publications and organization of thematic workshops.The partnership of Norwegian and Polish research teams will improve experience of each team in the field of applying different data and approaches for analysing state of forest and tundra ecosystems, thus extending knowledge and skills for creating reliable systems for monitoring vegetation communities in Poland and Norway.
Summary of project results
The main objective of the project was to assess usefulness of Earth Observation data supported with ground information for monitoring impact of climatic changes and air pollution on various ecosystems. The research works were concentrated on using various type of satellite images (low-resolution and high-resolution) and in-situ measured parameters describing vegetation condition for studying relations between indices derived from satellite data and from ground measurements in different meteorological conditions. As a result of these works remote sensing based methods were prepared which enable to evaluate state of forest and tundra ecosystems, changing due to impact of variable climatic conditions and air pollution. The methods are based on applying vegetation indices derived from low-resolution and high-resolution satellite images supported with in-situ measurements for assessing decrease of vegetation quality due to climatic events (winter warming, drought) and increased pollution levels. Methodical conclusions concerning type of satellite data to be used for vegetation condition assessment and type of vegetation indices the most suitable for monitoring stress conditions within forest and tundra ecosystems were the main outputs resulting from research activities within the project. Methodical approach for analysing meteorological data which characterize climatic events (winter warming, drought, etc.) was the other output from the research work in the project. In addition, methodology for assessing state of vegetation on the basis of ground measurements was prepared (spectrometric, fluorescence measurements, determination of pigment content in plants). Jointly, all outcomes from the project form the solid baseline for the project’s beneficiaries (environmental agencies, governmental and self-governmental units) for creating the operational system which would enable to monitor efficiently state of vegetation ecosystems with the use of Earth Observation data supported with ground measurements. Such a system would improve currently applied approach, enhancing it through incorporation of dynamically acquired spatial information on vegetation quality and its changes. It would also contribute to the studies of climate change, performed at regional, national and global scale.
Summary of bilateral results
The joint Polish-Norwegian Project resulted in added value through the partnership between Polish and Norwegian institutions. Norwegian scientists from the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) contributed much to the joint work through their deep knowledge on vegetation behavior under various climatic conditions. Specialists from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute contributed with their skills and experience concerning analysis of meteorological data and generating climatic scenarios based on long-term series for Poland. Remote sensing specialists from the Institute of Geodesy and Cartography in Warsaw and from the University of Warsaw contributed to the joint project, sharing with their knowledge on satellite data processing and analysis, as well as using their specialized instrumentation for the joint ground campaigns. Scientists from the Opole University shared their expertise concerning vegetation pollution with heavy metals for Norwegian test sites in Svalbard. So, the bilateral funds contributed to strengthened relations between Polish and Norwegian partners, through the joint research work concerning ground measurements on Svalbard, further data analysis and studies of meteorological data for Poland. Exchange of information on methodical approaches contributed to the improved methods related to satellite data analysis; joint publications increased visibility of project results at the scientific community.