Ecosystem functioning in protected and non-protected areas of Andalucía, Spain. A remote sensing approach

OYONARTE, CECILIO.; PIÑEIRO,GERVASIO.; PARUELO, JOSÉ M.; GARBULSKY, MARTIN F.

Porto Alegre, Brasil

Congreso; Congress of the International Association of Vegetation Science (IAVS); 2002

Cabo de Gata is a recently created (1989) National Park in south-eastern Spain. We analyzed the temporal and spatial variations of the fraction of the photosynthetic active radiation intercepted by green canopy (FPAR), using a spectral index (NDVI) derived from the satellite images PAL NOAA/AVHRR. We compared FPAR for two different areas inside the park: coastal sand plains (CSP) and mountain areas (MA), and two areas outside the park with different human intervention (intense and moderate). Within the park soil types explain most of heterogeneity in FPAR.  MA areas had higher FPAR values then CSP throughout the whole period analyzed (1981-1999). The moderate modified areas nearby the MA zone, had the same mean annual FPAR (0.16) than the park during the period prior to park creation (1981-1988). After 1989 the MA zone inside the park increased FPAR by 36%, while moderate modified areas augmented only 16%. The intense modified areas had the highest internal heterogeneity and the lowest FPAR (0.13) during the whole period. This evidence suggests that in the arid portion of Europe, conservation programs seems to have a positive impact on FPAR and hence in carbon uptake.