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Intensive upstream water regulation and agricultural irrigation of cotton fields of the Tugai river system and the resulting deforestation of flood plains of the last 60 years has drastically altered both the distribution of Tugai forests and the supply of ecosystem services throughout the region. It is important to expand scientific understanding of floodplain forest biomass - to establish baseline scientific data for future studies of assessment on environmental impacts associated with land use and climate change. Therefore this study uses Object-based Image Analysis (OBIA) to identify P. euphratica and Tamarix spp. plants of riparian Tugai Forests to derive their biomass on a single plant basis.

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Nicolas Hess, born 1967 received his Master of Science in Forest Informations Technology from Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development and a Master of Science & Engineer in Forestry at Warsaw University of Life Sciences.

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