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The Role of Earth Observation for Managing Biodiversity and Disasters in Mesoamerica: Past, Present, and Future

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Earth Science Satellite Applications

Part of the book series: Springer Remote Sensing/Photogrammetry ((SPRINGERREMO))

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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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Notes

  1. 1.

    Disaster trends. Interactive graphs that show various trends and relationships within the EM-DAT data. EM-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database—http://www.emdat.be/disaster_trends/index.html.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Council of Protected Areas, Guatemala-Monitoring and Evaluation Center (CONAP-CEMEC), Antiguo Hospital de San Benito, Petén, Guatemala, USA

    Victor H. Ramos

  2. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Avenida 15 de Marzo, Calle Fraternidad, Flores, Petén, Guatemala, USA

    Victor H. Ramos

  3. University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, USA

    Africa I. Flores

  4. NASA-SERVIR Science Coordination Office, Huntsville, AL, USA

    Africa I. Flores

Authors
  1. Victor H. Ramos
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  2. Africa I. Flores
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Victor H. Ramos or Africa I. Flores .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

    Faisal Hossain

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Ramos, V.H., Flores, A.I. (2016). The Role of Earth Observation for Managing Biodiversity and Disasters in Mesoamerica: Past, Present, and Future. In: Hossain, F. (eds) Earth Science Satellite Applications. Springer Remote Sensing/Photogrammetry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33438-7_1

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