Plant species are defined as categories of plants which show common attributes and which are called by a common name.
Presence/absence of plant species is very important for diverse fields such as ecology, forestry and agriculture. Indeed, plant species diversity is important for maintaining genetic diversity and wildlife habitats, limiting diseases propagation, and regulating a large range of ecosystem functions. Moreover, as plant species are sensitive to environmental conditions (temperature, rainfalls, soil acidity, etc.), they are a very useful indicators to assess environmental changes.
Today, in Europe, tree species are inventoried through ground-field surveys (see here), but sensing plant species over large areas from satellite/airborne sensors is currently quite challenging.
Unit: Presence/Absence or Probability
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