Remotely sensed analysis of landscape pattern for habitat suitability assessment

In the run of recent biodiversity research activities different programs have been launched for assessment of diversity ‘hotspots’ or ‘gaps’. Here an approach is introduced for mapping biodiversity, in this case as habitat suitability regarding certain taxons, using remote sensing techniques and correlative modeling methods. It is assumed first that habitat suitability is at least partly affected by physiognomy and structural properties of the vegetation cover, and second that those properties are represented in remotely sensed data. It is possible to relate image properties to habitat properties and therefore to habitat suitability. At least some dimensions of Hutchinsons ‘habitat niche’ can be described by parameters derived from image data. From Landsat imagery and its interpretations different landscape indices are calculated. They are evaluated for their potential of spatial prediction of species distribution. Some ‘incidence functions’ are presented as description of dimensions of the ecological niche of amphibians.