BIOSPACE25

BIOSPACE25, held in Frascati from 10-14 February, marked the inaugural international conference dedicated to the application of satellite remote sensing for comprehensive biodiversity analysis in terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems. This event, the first of a planned series by ESA and partners, brought together a diverse community of experts —from remote sensing specialists and biodiversity scientists to policy stakeholders— to address key biodiversity challenges. The conference aimed to showcase innovative remote sensed based solutions and foster collaboration to advance the role of Earth Observation in biodiversity science, monitoring, and policy.

From INRAE UMR TETIS, we presented a study analyzing post-disturbance recovery dynamics in European forests using remote sensing data. Specifically, our study investigated the impact of forest fire disturbances on forest recovery and severity. A remote sensing based approach, using canopy cover time series data was developed to evaluate forest dynamics after disturbance from 2000 to the present. Recovery time and relative canopy cover change defined forest recovery and severity, respectively. Spatial patterns of recovery and severity metrics were analyzed across Europe.

The results showed significant regional differences in the disturbance metrics, providing valuable insights into the effects of the different canopy structure landscapes on post-disturbance dynamics.