Using remote sensing to map the occurrence of Cistus salviifolius L. (Cistaceae) in Armutlu, Yalova, Türkiye

Using remote sensing to map the occurrence of Cistus salviifolius L. (Cistaceae) in Armutlu, Yalova, Türkiye Ahmet BEYATLI 1, Moosarreza TOORI 2 ORCID: 0000-0001-5225-6217; 0000-0002-7473-1063 1 University of Health Sciences, Vocational School of Health Services, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Program, 34668 Istanbul, Türkiye 2 Arazi, 4th Section, 21st Street, No: 123, Zanjan, Iran Abstract By scientifically grounded nature management, the biodiversity of medicinal plants can be preserved, providing a foundation for the research and development of new therapeutics. Monitoring the condition and distribution of plant communities is one of the contemporary responsibilities of botanical resource research. Cistus salviifolius used to mangment various ailments in both modern and traditional medicine. Sentinel-2 based on remote sensing techniques, offer promising alternatives to accurately detect, map and monitor the extent of plants. The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of Sentinel-2 data to detect and map of Cistus salviifolius as a case study in Armutlu. The finidings reveal the significance of the red-edge and shortwave infrared regions of the spectrum, as well as the inclusion of vegetation indices in the classification for C. salviifolius discrimination. Here, we demonstrate the potential of Sentinel-2 data for mapping of medicinal plants. Keywords: remote sensing, Sentinel-2, Cistus salviifolius, classification, spectral signature