A newly developed method combining high-resolution remote sensing and geospatial data integration was used to identify local groundwater dependent vegetation (GDV) in a Mediterranean study area. The results were validated in a botanical field campaign using a simple ecohydrological index (cover phreatophytes and moisture value of non-phreatophytes). In addition, differences in vitality between oaks in groundwater dependent and non-dependent ecosystems were identified. Moreover, it has been shown that pixels classified as GDV occur more frequently in broadleaf and coniferous forests and aquifers with surficial groundwater circulation, which is typical for low permeability terrains. Local results on GDV locations can be overlaid with aquifer use or aquifer reaction to climate change in order to identify GDV under threat and implement sustainable managements of groundwater resources.
Please find the publication by El-Hokayem et al. (2022) here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.109784
