New tools to identify vegetation changes. APOS Automated Phenological Observation System.

The APOS project has been developed in the framework of the INCREASE Project, under the following research activities: WP 14 - New tools to identify vegetation changes Task 14.2 - Models and techniques for detecting and predicting climate change effect on phenology The specific objective of the APOS project is to implement experimental methods based on digital imagers for detecting changes in vegetation, with particular regard to shrubland ecosystems phenological behavior. To reach this main goal, an experimental research study has been conducted at the Porto Conte (MED-IT) Italian site of the INCREASE project network, with the purpose of designing and developing a digital image system to monitor phenological occurrences over the season. A prototype of an Automated Phenological Observation System (APOS) was developed using standard, commercially available cameras, connected to an automated robotic system. The APOS was tested in laboratory at CNR - IBIMET (Sassari, Italy) and several experimental sites. This report provides detailed technical documentation of the APOS system.