Remote sensing techniques and geographic information systems for wetland conservation and management: monitoring scrub encroachment in Biebrza National Park

Abstract

The Biebrza National Park in Poland is one of the most precious wetland areas in Europe. It was established in 1993 and designated Ramsar site in 1995. Despite its protection status, the open wetland landscape is currently being threatened by the encroachment of shrubs and trees, assumed to have a negative effect on biodiversity. The national park is looking for effective management strategies to halt this unwanted vegetation succession. Information is required on the current situation, the rate of scrub encroachment and the underlying causes, and more insight is needed into the different succession types, succession stages and phases (temporal aspects) and scrub expansion types (spatial aspects) in relation to site conditions. In the present project, the first step was made towards a scrub encroachment monitoring system based on remote sensing and GIS.