Introduction

Key points

  • The plant biodiversity in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa is extremely rich! But species here are facing the crisis of rapid disappearance.
  • EMIT data has a detailed hyperspectral signature around this region, which can help us in identify plant biodiversity hotspots.
  • We use spectral diversity as variability in leaf traits indicators to discover plant biodiversity hotspots.

    • About EMIT Data

    EMIT Introduction

    EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) is a NASA mission that aims to measure the mineral composition of dust sources on Earth's surface. It seeks to understand how these mineral dust particles affect the Earth's environment, particularly their heating and cooling effects through radiative forcing. The mission uses remote sensing and satellite technology to gather critical data for climate research and environmental science.

    There are two main objectives:

  • To deliver a new improved assessment of the heating and cooling effects of mineral dust in the Earth’s atmosphere.
  • To predict how future climate scenarios might change the amount and type of mineral dust emitted into the Earth’s atmosphere.

    • → More for EMIT mission

    About Cape Region

    cape map

    As it is currently acknowledged, there are six floral kingdoms in the world. The South African Kingdom is the smallest among them, encompassing only the Cape region, covering approximately 90,000 square kilometers. The Cape region of South Africa stands out as one of the most extraordinary biodiversity hotspots, boasting a flora that comprises over 9,000 plant species, with nearly 70% of which are endemic. Unfortunately, this area is also under threat of, changing wildfire regimes, habitat destruction and climate change. We need to take action!