Remote sensing of aboveground grass biomass between protected and non‐protected areas in savannah rangelands

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Dube ◽  
Cletah Shoko ◽  
Tawanda W. Gara
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 384
Author(s):  
Javier Martínez-López ◽  
Bastian Bertzky ◽  
Simon Willcock ◽  
Marine Robuchon ◽  
María Almagro ◽  
...  

Protected areas (PAs) are a key strategy to reverse global biodiversity declines, but they are under increasing pressure from anthropogenic activities and concomitant effects. Thus, the heterogeneous landscapes within PAs, containing a number of different habitats and ecosystem types, are in various degrees of disturbance. Characterizing habitats and ecosystems within the global protected area network requires large-scale monitoring over long time scales. This study reviews methods for the biophysical characterization of terrestrial PAs at a global scale by means of remote sensing (RS) and provides further recommendations. To this end, we first discuss the importance of taking into account the structural and functional attributes, as well as integrating a broad spectrum of variables, to account for the different ecosystem and habitat types within PAs, considering examples at local and regional scales. We then discuss potential variables, challenges and limitations of existing global environmental stratifications, as well as the biophysical characterization of PAs, and finally offer some recommendations. Computational and interoperability issues are also discussed, as well as the potential of cloud-based platforms linked to earth observations to support large-scale characterization of PAs. Using RS to characterize PAs globally is a crucial approach to help ensure sustainable development, but it requires further work before such studies are able to inform large-scale conservation actions. This study proposes 14 recommendations in order to improve existing initiatives to biophysically characterize PAs at a global scale.


2020 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. 69-81

Light pollution in Slovenia in 2019 with special regard to Natura 2000 areas The article shows the state of light pollution in Slovenia. Remote sensing data from the Suomi satellite were analysed. Light pollution is shown by radiance expressed in nW/(sr cm2 ). In Slovenia, there are large differences in state of light polution. The most polluted areas are located in the area of larger settlements and in areas with higher levels of infrastructure. The spread of light does not stop at the borders of protected areas, so we also analyzed the state of light pollution in Natura 2000 sites in Slovenia. It turns out that the most lightpolluted areas are those that lie around larger settlements or suburbanised regions (Ljubljansko Barje, Šmarna gora, Drava).


Author(s):  
Peeyush Gupta ◽  
Swati Goyal

Before an individual can evaluate wildlife habitat and make management recommendations, some basic concepts about habitat and its relationships to different wildlife species should be understood. In this chapter, some of the basic concepts will be described; mainly analyzing of habitat alterations, landscape analysis, networking and creation of corridor between protected areas, wildlife habitat suitability analysis using Remote Sensing & GIS. Since most of the contest will be based on these concepts. Like other natural resource fields, wildlife management is both an art and science that deals with complex interactions in the environment. This means that management includes art or judgment based on experience as well as sound factual information based on scientific studies.


Author(s):  
Peeyush Gupta ◽  
Swati Goyal

Before an individual can evaluate wildlife habitat and make management recommendations, some basic concepts about habitat and its relationships to different wildlife species should be understood. In this chapter, some of the basic concepts will be described; mainly analyzing of habitat alterations, landscape analysis, networking and creation of corridor between protected areas, wildlife habitat suitability analysis using Remote Sensing & GIS. Since most of the contest will be based on these concepts. Like other natural resource fields, wildlife management is both an art and science that deals with complex interactions in the environment. This means that management includes art or judgment based on experience as well as sound factual information based on scientific studies.


2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Maria Elena Menconi ◽  
David Grohmann

This study aimed to test the effectiveness of protected areas to preserve vegetation. The first step was to identify vegetation suitable areas, designed as areas with optimal morphological terrain features for a good photosynthetic activity. These areas were defined according to the following landscape factors: slope, altitude, aspect and land use. Enhanced vegetation index (EVI) was chosen as vegetation dynamics indicator. This method is based on a statistical approach using remote sensing data in a geographic information system (GIS) environment. The correlation between EVI and landscape factor was evaluated using the frequency ratio method. Classes of landscape factors that show good correlation with a high EVI were combined to obtain vegetation suitable areas. Once identified, these areas and their vegetation dynamics were analysed by comparing the results obtained whenever these areas are included or not included in protected areas. A second EVI dataset was used to verify the accuracy in identifying vegetation suitable areas and the influence of each landscape factor considered in their identification. This validation process showed that vegetation suitable areas are significant in identifying areas with good photosynthetic activity. The effects analysis showed a positive influence of all landscape factors in determining suitability. This methodology, applied to central regions of Italy, shows that the vegetation suitable areas located inside protected areas are <em>greener</em> than those outside protected areas. This suggests that the protective measures established by the institution of the parks have proved to be effective, at least as far as the status of vegetation development is concerned.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (19) ◽  
pp. 5356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liao ◽  
Zhen ◽  
Zhang ◽  
Metternicht

Implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals requires countries to determine targets for the protection, conservation, or restoration of coastal ecosystems such as mangrove forests by 2030. Satellite remote sensing provides historical and current data on the distribution and dynamics of mangrove forests, essential baseline data that are needed to design suitable policy interventions. In this study, Landsat time series were used to map trends and dynamics of mangrove change over a time span of 30 years (1987–2017) in protected areas of Hainan Island (China). A support vector machine algorithm was combined with visual interpretation of imagery and result showed alternating periods of expansion and loss of mangrove forest at seven selected sites on Hainan Island. Over this period, there was a net decrease in mangrove area of 9.3%, with anthropic activities such as land conversion for aquaculture, wastewater disposal and discharge, and tourism development appearing to be the likely drivers of this decline in cover. Long-term studies examining trends in land use cover change coupled with assessments of drivers of loss or gain enable the development of evidence based on policy and legislation. This forms the basis of financing of natural reserves of management and institutional capacity building, and facilitates public awareness and participation, including co-management.


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