Advanced remote sensing techniques for global changes and Amazon ecosystem functioning studies

Abstract

This paper aims to assess the contribution of remote sensing technology in addressing key questions raised by the Large Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA). The answers to these questions foster the knowledge on the climatic, biogechemical and hydrologic functioning of the Amazon, as well as on the impact of human activities at regional and global scales. Remote sensing methods allow integrating information on several processes at different temporal and spatial scales. By doing so, it is possible to perceive hidden relations among processes and structures, enhancing their teleconnections. Key advances in the remote sensing science are summarized in this article, which is particularly focused on information that would not be possible to be retrieved without the concurrence of this technology