Collecting data for ecological studies
Desertification is a phenomenon that threatens a number of regions around the globe. Human activities, such as removing vegetation, excessive cultivation, and exhaustion of surface or ground water supplies in combination with the climatic changes are some of the factors that may cause desertification a region. In order to study such phenomena, data collection, over a long period of time was required. The key points in data collection process were mainly two. The kind of data that was going to be collected and the protocol that would be followed for this collection. The Medalus II project aimed to investigate the desertification process in regions across the Mediterranean. For the purposes of this project desertification relevant biophysical data was measured at selected regions from Portugal to Israel for a period of 4 to 10 years. The parameters measured include soil, water, vegetation and land cover conditions. This collection was performed by following protocols common for every site. The importance of the protocols and the data collected is not limited to the project. Their suitability in a wide range of scientific and business applications make them one of the most significant results of the Medalus II. Testing of relevant model, examination of trends and impacts of a factor, evaluation of future conditions, planning of similar studies, are only some of the possible applications.
