A New Approach to Quantification of Coastal Wetland Biophysical Conditions in the Greater Pearl River Delta Region: Integration of Remote Sensing, Modeling and In-site Measurements

Principal Investigator: Prof. Lin Hui

Project Ref No:	CUHK4632/05H
Start Date:	2006/11/01
End Date:	2007/10/31
Type of Grant:	RGC Competitive Earmarked Research Grant 2005/2006

The coastal wetland bordering the South-China Sea is one of the most important ecosystems in the world with diverse species of plants and vertebrate, and bears social and economic significance to the large population living in this region. Unfortunately, the total area of the wetlands in this region was significantly reduced and the quality deteriorated over the last several decades, due to fast population and economic growth and excessively conversion of wetlands into other land use.

We propose to develop a new approach to quantification of coastal wetland biophysical conditions in the Pearl River Delta region through an integration of optical and microwave remote sensing, modeling and in-situ measurements. The primary objectives of the proposed research are to: 1) improve coastal wetland biological condition characterization using field data and optical and radar remote sensing data, 2) investigate optical spectral reflectance and radar backscattering process through modeling technique for each component of the coastal wetlands, 3) develop a new inversion method for costal wetland biophysical parameter retrieval , and 4) evaluate the method and data products using field and other independent reference data.

The deliverables from the project should greatly contribute to a better understanding of coastal wetlands ecosystem and towards establishment of a long-term monitoring capability in the Pearl River Delta region. The research will also contribute to bridging the relations between the remote sensing technique and the wetland ecology.