EvoLand: Sneak Peek into Three CLMS Prototypes
EvoLand is a three-year project launched in January 2023 under the Horizon Europe program, aiming to enhance the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) portfolio. The CLMS provides vital information on land use and environmental conditions across Europe. The EvoLand project, which stands for “Evolution of the Copernicus Land Service Portfolio,” seeks to develop and test 11 innovative prototype services that improve the monitoring of land surface changes and characteristics. These prototypes focus on five key areas: agriculture, forest, water, urban, and general land cover. By integrating new Earth Observation data, in-situ information, and advanced machine learning and data fusion techniques, EvoLand aims to provide more accurate and timely data on land surface dynamics and biomass.
In this blog post, our Remote Sensing Project Manager Tim Ng presents a sneak peek of three prototypes that were developed for this project.
Continuous Forest Monitoring
The Continuous Forest Monitoring prototype, developed by GAF AG, maps the location and timing on a monthly basis, in which a forest disturbance (i.e. windthrow, forest fire, insect infestations, clear cuts, or thinning activities) has first been recognized. The example in Figure 1 shows the extent of forest loss for a region in southern Spain, near the city of Estepona. After the area was affected by two fire events in 2021 (red, dark orange, south-western part of the region), another large fire destroyed additional forest areas in 2022 (light orange, north-eastern part of the region).
Figure 1: Sentinel-2 time series and mapped disturbances for an area in Southern Spain affected by several wildfires.
Cropland/Grassland GPP Monitoring
Quantifying Gross Primary Production (GPP, total influx of carbon into an ecosystem through photosynthesis) was developed by VITO and is a critical input to derive Net Primary Production (NPP), above-ground biomass production, and ultimately crop yield/pasture biomass. This prototype delivers high-resolution gross primary productivity (GPP) data for croplands and grasslands at 10-day intervals and at 10-meter resolution. Improvements include improved Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) data calibration and water stress integration, year-specific CO2 calculation, and better GPP continuity during cloudy periods.
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Figure 2.1: 300 m, 10-daily CLMS GPP prototype. |
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Figure 2.2: 10 m, 10-daily EvoLand GPP prototype. |
Continuous Imperviousness Monitoring
Soil health and land management are growing concerns in Europe due to climate change and intensive human activities: urban heat island effect, reduced water infiltration, increased flooding risks, and loss of biodiversity. To address this, the EU has developed a Soil Strategy for 2030, outlining key actions for soil health. A key use of CLMS in this context is the monitoring of soil sealing through the High-Resolution Layer (HRL) Imperviousness products, which monitor artificially sealed areas every 3 years since 2006. Initially produced at a resolution of 20 m, it was improved to 10 m in 2018 using Copernicus Sentinel data. EvoLand is addressing future needs and developments by developing a prototype for continuous imperviousness monitoring, developed by CLS, at a 6-month interval and finer resolution of 5 m while maintaining high thematic accuracy (see Figure 3). This will enhance urban monitoring capabilities and support sustainable land management strategies across Europe.
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Figure 3: Comparison of the HRL IMD at 10-meter resolution (left) and the EvoLand prototype at 5-meter spatial resolution (right).
Join Us at Living Planet Symposium
Curious to learn more about EvoLand and how these updated land monitoring services can improve land use and environmental conditions across Europe? Visit the VITO booth at the Living Planet Symposium 2025 in Vienna during June 23-27. Our Remote Sensing experts are looking forward to answering your questions and showcasing the 11 innovative CLMS prototypes.
Don't miss the posters and demo about the latest updates in the EvoLand project:
Let’s connect in Vienna and discuss land monitoring and EO data! Cannot make it to Vienna? Feel free to contact us online.
