OBJECTIVES & APPROACHOur overarching objective is to tap into the unrealized potential of existing and scheduled space-borne Earth observation data streams to detect changes in ecosystem functioning and services that have repercussions for what we call "Essential Ecosystem Variables" (EEVs). Following a dual strategy for implementing novel analytical tools and enhancing the usage of European space data, we will first develop novel downstream data products that are not directly observable from space and rely on the assimilation of ground observations (i.e. EEVs), and second, we will develop a generic multidimensional index of change (the “Biosphere Atmosphere Change Index: BACIndex”) to provide a spatially-explicit metric for ecosystem status and transitions. Both analytical approaches will be validated in target regions in Africa and Europe. An attribution/assessment framework will accompany the BACIndex to disentangle climate-induced ecosystem changes from socio-economic/ecological transformation processes
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WORK PACKAGES
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