Mapping Potential Plant Species Richness over Large Areas with Deep Learning, MODIS, and Species Distribution Models

The spatial patterns of species richness can be used as indicators for conservation and restoration, but data problems, including the lack of species surveys and geographical data gaps, are obstacles to mapping species richness across large areas. Lack of species data can be overcome with remote sensing because it covers extended geographic areas and generates recurring data. We developed a Deep Learning (DL) framework using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products and modeled potential species richness by stacking species distribution models (S-SDMs) to ask, What are the spatial patterns of potential plant species richness across the Korean Peninsula, including inaccessible North Korea, where survey data are limited? First, we estimated plant species richness in South Korea by combining the probability-based SDM results of 1574 species and used independent plant surveys to validate our potential species richness maps. Next, DL-based species richness models were fitted to the species richness results in South Korea, and a time-series of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and leaf area index (LAI) from MODIS. The individually developed models from South Korea were statistically tested using datasets that were not used in model training and obtained high accuracy outcomes (0.98, Pearson correlation). Finally, the proposed models were combined to estimate the richness patterns across the Korean Peninsula at a higher spatial resolution than the species survey data. From the statistical feature importance tests overall, growing season NDVI-related features were more important than LAI features for quantifying biodiversity from remote sensing time-series data.

Automated summary

This study developed a Deep Learning framework using remote sensing data to model potential plant species richness across the Korean Peninsula, where survey data are limited. The models, validated in South Korea, were then used to estimate richness patterns across the entire peninsula at a higher spatial resolution, with NDVI-related features showing greater importance in quantifying biodiversity from remote sensing time-series data.