Title
Chapter Title: The Role of Earth Observation for Managing Biodiversity and Disasters in Mesoamerica: Past, Present, and Future
Book Title: Earth Science Satellite Applications: Current and Future Prospects
Author(s)
Ramos, Victor H.; Flores, Africa I.
Published
2016
Abstract
Mesoamerica is a term used sometimes in cultural context, but in this article we are using it to name the land bridge between North and South America, made up of the Southern Mexico States (Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Campeche y Tabasco), Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. With an area of approximately 755,000 square kilometers, it is one of the most heterogeneous regions of the world in terms of elevation, land forms, climate, natural ecosystems and human populations. In the general context given, the potential of Earth observation (EO) to assist the management of natural resources, biodiversity and disasters in the region is clear. In this chapter, we discuss the current state of EO applications and future perspectives related to land-use change, ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity and solid-earth hazards. We hope that this contribution can identify current and future challenges related to obtaining the biggest societal benefit of EO and suggest actions to take advantage of anticipated innovations and data availability.
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PUB15908