Application of remote sensing technology in biodiversity protection

Application of remote sensing data in identification of important areas in terms of biodiversity, prediction of the mechanism of the distribution of species and modeling the responses of biosphere communities to natural and human changes is one of the important issues in research. Environmental parameters with certain bio-physical characteristics can indicate the mechanism of distribution and frequency of species at the surface of the land and explain how the habitat is occupied by species. New data from remote sensing technology have made it possible to combine them with ecological models to answer many questions about biodiversity. Recent advances in spatial and spectral resolution of sensors have made studying various aspects of biodiversity, such as identifying communities of species, estimating species richness, identifying climatic variables, and studying the habitat structure possible. In cases where direct recognition of a living creature is not possible, by using the indirect remote sensing approach, we can derive meaningful information from the bio-physical properties. This paper reviews the application of remote sensing in biodiversity and conservation studies, which involves the use of direct and indirect remote sensing in identifying species and communities, estimating species richness, identifying climatic variables and studying the habitat structure. Today, it is necessary to form increasing collaboration between remote sensing researchers and researchers in the field of biodiversity and conservation, so that steps can be taken towards better conservation goals.