Scattered tree death contributes to substantial forest loss in California.

In recent years, large-scale tree mortality events linked to global change have occurred around the world. Current forest monitoring methods are crucial for identifying mortality hotspots, but systematic assessments of isolated or scattered dead trees over large areas are needed to reduce uncertainty on the actual extent of tree mortality. Here, we mapped individual dead trees in California using sub-meter resolution aerial photographs from 2020 and deep learning-based dead tree detection.

Evidence-based advice on timing and location of tsetse control measures in Shimba Hills National reserve, Kenya.

Controlling tsetse flies is critical for effective management of African trypanosomiasis in Sub-Saharan Africa. To enhance timely and targeted deployment of tsetse control strategies a better understanding of their temporal dynamics is paramount. A few empirical studies have explained and predicted tsetse numbers across space and time, but the resulting models may not easily scale to other areas.

Satellite-based modelling of potential tsetse (Glossina pallidipes) breeding and foraging sites using teneral and non-teneral fly occurrence data.

Background: African trypanosomiasis, which is mainly transmitted by tsetse flies (Glossina spp.), is a threat to public health and a significant hindrance to animal production. Tools that can reduce tsetse densities and interrupt disease transmission exist, but their large-scale deployment is limited by high implementation costs.

Long-term assessment of ecosystem services at ecological restoration sites using Landsat time series.

Reversing ecological degradation through restoration activities is a key societal challenge of the upcoming decade. However, lack of evidence on the effectiveness of restoration interventions leads to inconsistent, delayed, or poorly informed statements of success, hindering the wise allocation of resources, representing a missed opportunity to learn from previous experiences. This study contributes to a better understanding of spatial and temporal dynamics of ecosystem services at ecological restoration sites.

Comparing land surface phenology of major European crops as derived from SAR and multispectral data of Sentinel-1 and -2.

The frequent acquisitions of fine spatial resolution imagery (10 m) offered by recent multispectral satellite missions, including Sentinel-2, can resolve single agricultural fields and thus provide crop-specific phenology metrics, a crucial information for crop monitoring. However, effective phenology retrieval may still be hampered by significant cloud cover. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) observations are not restricted by weather conditions, and Sentinel-1 thus ensures more frequent observations of the land surface.

Mapping Geospatial Processes Affecting the Environmental Fate of Agricultural Pesticides in Africa.

The application of agricultural pesticides in Africa can have negative effects on human health and the environment. The aim of this study was to identify African environments that are vulnerable to the accumulation of pesticides by mapping geospatial processes affecting pesticide fate. The study modelled processes associated with the environmental fate of agricultural pesticides using publicly available geospatial datasets.

Predictive Factors and Risk Mapping for Rift Valley Fever Epidemics in Kenya.

Background: To-date, Rift Valley fever (RVF) outbreaks have occurred in 38 of the 69 administrative districts in Kenya. Using surveillance records collected between 1951 and 2007, we determined the risk of exposure and outcome of an RVF outbreak, examined the ecological and climatic factors associated with the outbreaks, and used these data to develop an RVF risk map for Kenya.

Methods: Exposure to RVF was evaluated as the proportion of the total outbreak years that each district was involved in prior epizootics, whereas risk of outcome was assessed as severity of observed disease in humans and animals for each district.

Constructing boundary-consistent population time series for the municipalities of the Netherlands, 1988-2011.

Frequent spatial reorganization of administrative units is common in many countries. It may comprise the merging or division of spatial units, or boundary changes between units. These reorganizations prevent the effective assessment of longer-term population dynamics at a detailed spatial level.