NASA Helps Study One of the World’s Most Diverse Ecosystems

NASA satellite and air-borne tools assist a worldwide group studying biodiversity on land and in the water around South Africa.

A worldwide group of scientists invested October and November 2023 in the field studying among the world’s most biologically varied locations– South Africa’s Greater Cape Floristic Region. As part of the effort, scientists utilized NASA air-borne and space-based instruments to collect complementary information to much better comprehend the special marine and terrestrial communities in this area. Their findings will notify the abilities of future satellite objectives focused on studying plants and animals.

“The food we consume, the tidy water that we consume, and the air we breathe originates from the variety of life on world Earth,” stated Erin Hestir of the University of California, Merced, and the project’s lead marine scientist. “As we lose types, we’re possibly losing Earth’s capability to sustain healthy human societies and offer healthy food and tidy water for all.” Referred to as the Biodiversity Survey of the Cape (BioSCapethe effort is a big cooperation led in the U.S. by NASA, the University at Buffalo in New York, and the University of California, Merced. It is led in South Africa by the University of Cape Town and the South African Environmental Observation Network.

The Greater Cape Floristic Region covers about 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) on South Africa’s southwestern pointer. Home to numerous plant and animal types discovered no place else in the world, the biodiversity hotspot is acknowledged as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The location likewise consists of numerous UNESCO Biosphere reserves to secure distinct terrestrial and water environments.

The BioSCape group is checking how well air-borne and satellite remote noticing can define the area’s terrestrial, freshwater, and marine biodiversity. Area- and airplane-based instruments can cover more ground– and do so quicker along with more often– than teams in