Monitoring farmland biodiversity using remote sensing

Publication date: 26-08-2026
Extent: 48 pages

Contributions by: Caterina Barrasso, Center for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (ScaDS.AI) Dresden/Leipzig, TUD Dresden University of Technology and Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation – University of Bonn, Germany; Stephanie Roilo, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation – University of Bonn, Germany; Antonia Ludwig, Institute for Earth System Science and Remote Sensing – Leipzig University, Germany; Vítězslav Moudrý and Jan Komárek, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic; Robert Krüger, Institute of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing – TUD Dresden University of Technology, Germany; Christopher Marrs, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Germany; and Anna F. Cord, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation – University of Bonn, Germany

Chapter synopsis:

Monitoring biodiversity in agricultural landscapes is essential for addressing global biodiversity decline. Emerging remote sensing and artificial intelligence technologies enable large-scale, low-impact and cost-effective assessments. This chapter provides a concise review of remote sensing applications for farmland biodiversity monitoring, structured around the Essential Biodiversity Variable framework. We examine plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms, and their habitats in productive and semi-natural areas. Spaceborne and airborne sensors effectively assess agroecosystem structure and functioning, and detect plants and large mammals with distinct spectral or phenological traits. UAV imagery and camera traps offer higher resolution for monitoring smaller or cryptic species. Remote sensing also supports indirect methods, such as species distribution modeling, to infer the occurrence of species that are difficult to detect. Key challenges include technological, methodological and operational limitations. Integrating multi-platform data, establishing shared benchmarks, and broadening taxonomic coverage, supported by policy incentives and farmer-friendly technologies, are essential for scaling biodiversity monitoring and promoting sustainable strategies that reconcile conservation with agricultural production.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2027.0178.24