Biodiversity Conservation

THE PROJECT

CONTEXT

AgroSatAdapt will develop models to handle remote sensing, ecological, climate, water-based and socioeconomic data for an integrated characterization of a landscape dominated by agro-silvopastoral systems in the inner Alentejo region. The project will deliver an analytical toolset to prompt policies for sustainable land use while providing maximized production profits.

AIMS

The identification of opportunities for the establishment of self-sustainable production systems in the region will be fostered. Several equilibria states will be explored where differential balances among multiple landscape uses and functions such as ecology, climate (through carbon sequestration via soils and stable vegetation), water-cycle and socioeconomy, will be tested: Smart Territories.

The project will act at pilot regions in inner Alentejo , characterized by land use policies and coordination architectures of distinct nature: 1) the territory under the responsibility of the Reguengos de Monsaraz municipality; 2) the farms of Herdade do Esporão and the ones of its suppliers (olive groves, vineyards) and 3) the area under the scope of EDIA, a semi-public company which controls water distribution in the production area under the influence of the Alqueva reservoir. These sub-systems entangle distinct management purposes, scales of action and coordination.

For each of the three sub-systems and for the whole target regions optimized land use/production management proposals at long-term (up to 2050) will be delivered, with particular attention to the effects of climate change over production profitability, biodiversity health and water availability.

In the end, a free GIS-based tool complemented with optimization add-ins will be provided, such to policy-makers and land-owners analyze and rationalize the use of land in their self-interested systems in a path towards sustainability.

METHODS

AgroSatAdapt will be based on an interdisciplinary strategy where researchers, policy-makers, business directors and landowners will dialogue for a common goal of regional sustainability.

Data for the multiple dimensions of sustainability will be gathered from distinct sources:

Remote sensing data will provide a high-resolute description of the target areas along time, enabling the control of production qualities, water content, soil properties and habitats over time. In loco validation procedures will allow to calibrate information for the specificities of the region;
Ecological data will be obtained through local listings (e.g. areas of Natura 2000), inventories and through bioclimatic models.
Regional scale water and soil properties will be gathered from open source platforms (e.g. EPIC web portal);
Climate trends up to 2050 will be based on RCP 6.0 and 8.5 scenarios. Several variables will be chosen to characterize the bioclimatic properties of the region in terms of temperature and water availability;
A cartography of lands will provide evidences about the use of space for production, ecology and other goals;
Socioeconomic descriptors, mostly based on production and land prices, will guide the analysis on the budgetary aspects of the system.
A set of environmental, policy and economic scenarios will be settled for distinct scales of action, to give quantified guidelines about obligatoly and voluntary constraints over the optimized solutions (in their distinct dimensions).

With this information in hand, SIG-based analyes will permit to characterize spatial patterns of the landscape, critical features, habitat fragmentation and opportunities for ecological connectivity.

Finally, spatial-based multi-criteria optimization procedures will identify land management options for maximization of sustainability and production profits, within a dynamic system driven by climate change.