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Sentinel-2 images reveal functional biophysical heterogeneities in crop mosaics

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Abstract

Context

Identifying landscape structure and understanding its functions are crucial for biological control. However, the relationship between the crop mosaic phenological heterogeneity and crop phenology at the field scale remains a blind spot. This hinders the understanding of crop dynamics and associated biodiversity. Remote sensing images are commonly used in landscape ecology because they allow for regular fine-scale monitoring of large areas.

Objective

The objective of this study was to understand the influence of biophysical heterogeneity of the crop mosaic on crop phenology and biodiversity using optical satellite images.

Methods

Indicators of wheat phenology and biophysical heterogeneity were derived from Sentinel-2 images using the Weighted Difference Vegetation Index (WDVI). A landscape gradient was studied in 2017 and 2018 using six study sites in Brittany, Picardy (France) and Wallonia (Belgium). First, we analyzed relationships among the crop mosaic, landscape grain and biophysical heterogeneity. Second, we studied effects of biophysical heterogeneity on wheat phenology. Last, we used WDVI to estimate the distribution of two carabid beetle species.

Results

The biophysical heterogeneity derived from WDVI correlated strongly with the crop mosaic gradient and landscape grain. Biophysical heterogeneity appeared to benefit wheat growth in fine-grain landscapes but disadvantage it in coarse-grain landscapes during the stem-extension and ripening periods. Biophysical heterogeneity estimated the distribution of carabid beetle species accurately.

Conclusion

The biophysical heterogeneity metric is continuous, consistent across locations and crop types and enables to address ecological issues using freely available satellite images covering the Earth. Future studies could use this metric to study the dynamics of species.

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Fig. 1

Source: Air Papillon)

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© EuroGeographics for the administrative boundaries

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Jean-Luc Roger in Rennes, the carabid team of EDYSAN in Amiens and Florence Heck in Louvain for the collection of carabid beetles. We thank H. Chrétien (airpap@air-papillon.com) for giving us permission to use the picture in Fig. 1.

Funding

This research was funded through the 2015–2016 BiodivERsA COFUND call for research proposals, with the national funders ANR, MINECO and BELSPO, and was supported by the Kalideos project, funded by the CNES and the Zone Atelier Armorique project and a Ph.D. grant from the Ministry of Research for A. Mercier.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LETG Rennes, UMR 6554, Université Rennes 2, Place du recteur Henri Le Moal, 35043, Rennes Cedex, France

    Audrey Mercier & Laurence Hubert-Moy

  2. UMR BAGAP INRAE, Institut Agro, ESA, 65 rue de Saint-Brieuc, CS 84215, 35042, Rennes Cedex, France

    Jacques Baudry

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  1. Audrey Mercier
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  2. Laurence Hubert-Moy
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Correspondence to Audrey Mercier.

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Mercier, A., Hubert-Moy, L. & Baudry, J. Sentinel-2 images reveal functional biophysical heterogeneities in crop mosaics. Landscape Ecol 36, 3607–3628 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-021-01331-6

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