Monitoring dimensions of biodiversity in a mega-diverse region of Southern Africa: From traits to communities to ecosystems

The Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) of South Africa includes marine and terrestrial biomes with species diversity rivaling mega-diverse tropical rainforests in a compact area (300x700km). Extinction risk studies suggest that GCFR species are among the most vulnerable to climate change over the next 50 years. We are developing a notional NASA field campaign to measure and monitor the distribution and abundance of biodiversity with new remotely-sensed data and the rich historical data in this region. The field campaign would enable interdisciplinary research into the drivers and mechanisms of changing biodiversity, disturbance, post-fire recovery, freshwater provisioning, and other ecosystem services.