Mapping of wet forests using earth observation tools in el kala area (ALGERIA)

Wet forests are among the most threatened and degraded wetland ecosystems in the world. In Algeria, they are mainly represented by specific, fragile and rare forest habitats. The region of El Kala (North-East of Algeria) hosts many unique wetlands (e.g. lakes, marshlands, wet meadows, lagoons, etc.) but also some of the most extended wet forests in North Africa. The main objective of this study is to develop a new mapping approach for the location and the delineation of these ecosystems using Earth Observation (EO) tools. This methodology is based on a combination of topographic and hydro-geomorphological indices derived from Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), with spectral variables extracted from Landsat-8 satellite images and in-situ data collected from the field. The final result showed that the studied area hosts more than 3900 ha of wet forests (alder and riparian forests), with an overall accuracy, estimated using field observations, higher than 85 %.This new approach allows mapping the spatial distribution of wet forests at large geographic scales and could be used as a support to facilitate their monitoring, using EO time series, but also to better implement management and conservation measures.