Who should use this toolkit?

This guide should be used by anyone contemplating how to use remote sensing for a terrestrial science or management question, or to understand a map of terrestrial ecosystem property derived from remote sensing.

The toolkit first explains how remote sensing works and what its limitations are in terrestrial environments, leading to a detailed assessment of which indicators or variables of terrestrial ecosystem structure and processes can be mapped and monitored from commercially available remotely sensed data.

The toolkit then provides a selection of worked examples and industry contacts for the procedures necessary to map terrestrial ecosystem properties from remote sensing. The following listing presents examples of typical users:

• Natural resource managers/policy makers - Can I use remotely sensed data (or a product derived from this) to map and monitor a terrestrial ecosystem health indicator in the range of environmental conditions experienced in the terrestrial environment I am responsible for?
• Natural resource scientists/technicians - Which indicators of terrestrial ecosystem health can I accurately map and monitor in my terrestrial environment using commercially available remote sensing data and what are the basic resources, personnel and time required to do this?
• Spatial information professionals - How can I use remote sensing to accurately map and monitor in my terrestrial environment using commercially available remote sensing data and what are the basic resources, personnel and time required to do this?
• Students - How can remotely sensed data be used to map and monitor terrestrial ecosystem health indicator(s) in the range of environmental conditions typically experienced in the terrestrial environment?
• General public - What type of information can be accurately mapped and monitored from remotely sensed data of terrestrial environments?