Monitoring of the dynamics of the natural resources by the geomatic in Morocco

Drylands cover about 40 % of Earth’s land surface and are inhabited by more than 2 billion people who depend mainly on the exploitation of these dryland ecosystem natural resources. However, it is largely recognized that these areas are threatened by the desertification. Desertification is associated with biodiversity loss and contrib-utes to global climate change. In spite of the importance of this phenomenon, it is surprising that there is no consensus on an appropriate method to assess this degradation process. One part of the literature announces catastrophic statistics on the rate of desert extension and surface affected. Others, doubt about the methodology used by these first studies and do not find any obviousness of such an extent of desertification.
The overall goal of our study is to develop remote sensing based indicators and models for the assessment of desertification in drylands. For this purpose, the monitoring of vegetation and soil is based on information resulting from the remote sensing and the biophysics data. Hyperspectral (field and remote sensing) and biophysics parameters will be established for the study area through large field campaigns combined with HR-remote sensing data.
The Land Cover will be mapped using the Landsat TM images in conjunction with measurements of vegetation parameters such as biomass and vegetation cover. Hyperspectral reflectances of the vegetation and soil inside the study zone will be measured by a Spectroradiometer. Each site will be located by Global Positioning System (GPS). Several RS vegetations indices appropriate for rangeland will be studied and others will be developed. Regression analyses, between the different vegetation indices retained by remote sensing and the biophysics data will be carried out so as to establish a spatio-temporal model linking these indices to the vegetation parameters. This research has started in November 2007