SEE PEER REVIEW

INTRO:

Remote sensing data is crucial in harvesting large-scale ecological data, and improving its quality is an ever-lasting process. The present work provides one example. Clearly the work has a very applied focus of improving local and national conservation area management.

MERITS:

The abstract is very straight-forward, and it introduces well the remote sensing tool in focus. The REMOTE tool produces data that is essential for long-term and large-scale ecological monitoring. It also produces valuable information on climate change monitoring. Practical approach is also very important when the results of the scientific and technical advances are implemented in concrete work.

CRITIQUE:

The abstract might even be a bit too straight-forward: it is quite heavy. Some examples on the use of the tool would make the abstract more accessible. What kinds of management actions could, or have been, made based on this tool? Furthermore, the spatial levels should be explained; what is meant by "ecosystem" level? The whole Spain or the Spanish ecological regions? It would also be worth mentioning, how easily this specific tool can be applied in other parts of the world.

DISCUSSION:

As there are quite a lot of space left, some examples and more detailed description of the tool, its results, and applications would make the abstract more appealing. A practical focus is greatly welcomed, and it would be therefore very interesting to hear about the applications of this tool, and about the actual projects that have used this tool, rather than very technical details of the tool itself.

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INTRO:

The authors propose to use an Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) approach to monitor a protected area network, and to serve as guidance to respective management recommendations.

MERITS:

The inclusion of ecosystem dynamics into monitoring of natural and protected areas is of great merit as it tackles an important aspect of natural systems which until now has been disregarded in the monitoring schemes.

CRITIQUE:

The only critique refers to the fact that the list of EBVs relating to ecosystem function is still not defined and consensual and thus the authors should rather refer to their approach as using proposed EBVs. As it stands it looks as it has been already established, which is not.

DISCUSSION:

This study is very relevant as it refers to a yet untackled issue of incorporating system dynamics into the monitoring of protected areas. I find it it is of wide interest to the scientific and conservation communities.