EagleHedges : monitoring the bocage network in France
Description
The EagleHedges project develops tools for monitoring and characterizing hedgerows using satellite images, thereby contributing to the national monitoring of bocages and hedgerow planting programs. It responds to the decline in hedgerows caused by agricultural consolidation and to hedgerow protection and replanting policies.
Details
The project has two main objectives: firstly, to set up an operational service to monitor the evolution of hedgerows and update the national database. This service is based on the use of very high spatial resolution (0.2-6m) airborne or spaceborne remote sensing images and 3D models for hedgerow detection. Secondly, the development of an operational tool to characterize hedgerows from a morphological, structural, and functional point of view, in order to assess the roles and ecosystem services they provide, particularly in terms of carbon sequestration. This open-source tool integrates standardized indicators, created to meet the specific needs of ongoing national programs.
The EagleHedges project is the result of collaboration between actors from the private, research, and public sectors, as well as a network of bocage professionals. The experimental territories include the Pyrenees-Gascony area, Haute-Garonne, and Aude, with coverage at different scales.
The data used in the project includes satellite images such as Pleiades and SPOT-6/7, as well as IGN data and field surveys from OFB and AFAC.
In terms of final results and products, the EagleHedges project includes the creation of hedgerow layers, a software package called HedgeTools for calculating indicators, and indicators for assessing the multi-functionality of hedgerows.
More
To learn more about the application, please explore the Space for Climate Observatory website. The website is available in English and French.