Ecological Remote Sensing
A section of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292).
Section Information
Background and Aim
Remote sensing or Earth observation offers a unique set of measurement, mapping, monitoring, and modelling tools for use in:
(1) Fundamental ecological studies, examining structures, processes and relationships between living organisms and their physical environment; and
(2) A wide range of government, community. and industry contexts, including, but not limited to, conservation biology, resource management, agriculture/grazing/horticulture/aquaculture, and forestry, in terrestrial–aquatic–atmospheric and marine ecosystems.
Remote sensing data sets and analysis techniques provide scale-specific approaches, in spatial and temporal contexts, for measurement and monitoring ecosystems at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels.
Ecological remote sensing needs to be supported by robust work linking field and process-based measurements, to satellite, airborne, and drone image data sets, to develop and validate algorithms and applications for use across academic, government, community, and industry sectors. These applications are inherently multi-disciplinary and require effective collaborations.
This section on Ecological Remote Sensing provides a fast and robust reviewing process on new ideas involving the use of remote sensing for ecological studies. Papers in this section build the knowledge, applications, and capacity base for advancing our global ecological remote sensing capabilities in a robust, diverse, and equitable manner by encouraging and supporting works that explicitly link field and remote sensing data sets and expertise across the range of disciplines that contribute to ecology.
Scope
Some examples of the primary ecological remote sensing challenges this Section will address include (i) measuring and monitoring ecological structures and processes from the a plant to a global scale; (ii) monitoring the impacts of environmental management practices on ecological structures and processes; (iii) separating anthropogenic impacts from natural environment variability; (iv) effectively assessing error and communication for ecological remote sensing application; and (v) linking indigenous ecological understanding with Earth observations. All the submissions must involve acquiring, processing, analysing and interpreting remotely sensed data from drone, airborne or satellite platforms. Manuscripts focused on modelling or interpreting environmental data alone will not be accepted for review.
Editorial Board
Special Issues
Following special issues within this section are currently open for submissions:
- Advancement of Environmental Studies with New SAR Sensors (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Innovative Applications of Multi-Source Remote Sensing Technology in Ecological Environment Quality Assessment and Governance (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Remote Sensing of Forests, Grasslands, and Lakes and Their Interactions (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Land Degradation Assessment with Earth Observation (Third Edition) (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Artificial Intelligence and Remote Sensing Applications in Natural Ecology Monitoring (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Remote Sensing for Wetland and Waterbird Habitat Conservation (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Monitoring and Assessment of Watershed Aquatic Ecosystems Based on Remote Sensing Technology (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Remote Sensing in Mangroves (Fourth Edition) (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Remote Sensing in Forest Fire Monitoring and Post-Fire Damage Analysis (Third Edition) (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Integration of Multispectral, LiDAR, and Artificial Intelligence Approaches for Characterizing Wetland Dynamics and Ecological Status (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Image Analysis for Forest Environmental Monitoring (2nd Edition) (Deadline: 29 December 2026)
- Remote Sensing Applications to Ecology: Opportunities and Challenges (Third Edition) (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Advances in Machine Learning for Wetland Mapping and Monitoring (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Assessment of Wetland Ecosystem Vulnerability and Resilience Using Remote Sensing (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Monitoring and Restoration of Mining-Impacted Ecosystems Using Remote Sensing Technology (Deadline: 31 January 2027)
- Multi-Source Remote Sensing for Terrestrial Vegetation and Ecosystem Services Mapping (Deadline: 31 January 2027)
- Application of Remote Sensing in Landscape Ecology (Deadline: 31 January 2027)
- Remote Sensing of Ecosystem Structure and Function Dynamics Due to Climate Change and Human Activities (2nd Edition) (Deadline: 31 January 2027)
- Ecosystem Diversity Observation Based on Multi-Source Remote Sensing Data (Deadline: 31 January 2027)
- Remote Sensing for Monitoring Ecosystem Recovery and Land Reclamation (Deadline: 15 February 2027)
- Remote Sensing and Smart Forestry (Third Edition) (Deadline: 15 February 2027)
- Drone-Based Remote Sensing of Archaeological Landscapes (Deadline: 25 February 2027)
- Advances in Remote Sensing of the Inland and Coastal Water Zones (3rd Edition) (Deadline: 15 March 2027)
- Remote Sensing of Landscape Ecology Using Innovative Data and Approaches (Deadline: 15 March 2027)
- Remote Sensing for Wetland Ecosystem Mapping, Monitoring, and Sustainable Management (Deadline: 20 April 2027)