Beyond the Concrete Jungle: Unveiling Urban Ecosystems Through Remote Sensing
摘要
Urban environments are complex mosaics where natural and built elements coexist and interact, providing a range of ecosystem services crucial for urban sustainability. They play a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of life in cities, providing essential services such as air purification, climate regulation, and recreational spaces. Monitoring and assessing these services are crucial for sustainable urban planning and management. This chapter delves into the innovative use of remote sensing technologies to unveil the hidden dynamics of urban ecosystems. By leveraging images such as optical-hyperspectral-microwave and LiDAR from sensors mounted on satellites, aerial platforms and drones, methodologies for comprehensive data acquisition, processing, and analysis are explored. The chapter highlights recent applications in provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services, emphasizing the critical insights gained through remote sensing. The challenges of data availability, integration, and validation, proposing solutions to overcome these hurdles are also addressed. This chapter underscores the transformative potential of remote sensing in shaping resilient, sustainable urban environments, revealing the intricate interplay between urbanization and natural ecosystems. Through case studies and recent scientific advancements, the path towards a greener, more balanced urban future is illuminated.