Mangrove Mapping Using Landsat Imagery and Aerial Photographs: Kemaman District, Terengganu, Malaysia

Classification and distribution of mangrove vegetation are vital information for the proper development of a mangrove management plan. In this study, classification for the mangroves of the district of Kemaman were done using both 1 : 5000 aerial photographs and Landsat TM imageries. The coverage by aerial photographs is limited to the coastal and estuarine areas only. Thus, for areas further upstream of the aerial photo coverage, Landsat TM imageries were used. Analysis of aerial photographs and remote sensing images revealed that the mangroves of Kemaman could be classified into 14 different classes of vegetation. All the 14 classes were identified from areas covered by the aerial photographs. For areas covered by the Landsat images only 7 classes of vegetation were identified. The accuracy for aerial photograph and Landsat images are 91.2% and 87.8%, respectively. It can be concluded that although both techniques are useful in determining the mangrove vegetation classes, the large 1 : 5000 aerial photographs are more accurate and provided more detailed information comparatively.     

The impacts of herbivory on vegetation in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana: 1967–2001

Browsing and grazing pressure on vegetation in the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana was analyzed using remotely sensed imagery comprising CORONA photographs of 1967 and Landsat TM and Landsat ETM imagery of 1989 and 1994 and 2001, respectively. Comparison of temporal variations in the spatial distributions of different vegetation types and changes in the abundance of selected wildlife species demonstrate a persistent decrease in capacity of the environment to support wild animals, due to increasing abundance of poorly preferred browse species and increasing scarcity of favored varieties. Given the long-term direction of change showing continued deterioration of habitat conditions and the limited prospects for reversal of this trend, it is apparent that there is immediate need to realign wildlife management strategies in ways that can enhance the sustainability of wildlife and the supporting environment.     

Land use changes and its impacts on water resources in Nile Delta region using remote sensing techniques

Sustainable water resources management plans depend on reliable monitoring of land use –land cover (LULC) changes. The use of the remote sensing techniques in LULC changes detection brings consistency and reliability to the decision maker at regional scale. Three temporal data sets of images were used to obtain the land cover changes in this study: Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) acquired in 1984, and Landsat-7 enhanced Thematic Mapper acquired in 2000 and 2005 consequently. Each temporal data set consists of four Landsat scenes, which were mosaicked to cover the whole Nile Delta. Two different supervised classification algorithms were implemented to produce classification maps in thematic form. Support vector machine showed higher classification accuracies in comparison with maximum likelihood classification. The results indicated that the rapid imbalance changes occurred among three land cover classes (urban, desert, and agricultural land). These changes powered the land degradation and land fragmentation processes over the agricultural land exclusively due to urban encroachment. Slight land cover changes were detected between fish farms and surface water land cover classes.     

上海浦东新区土地利用变化及其生态环境效应

上海浦东新区是我国快速城市化的典型地区,尤其1990~2001年,是浦东新区快速城市建设和扩展时期。依据1990、2001年两时相的卫星遥感数据,运用图像处理软件进行监督分类,提取了浦东新区两时相土地利用信息,分析了浦东新区1990~2001年土地利用变化特点和土地利用类型的转化特征,探讨土地利用的变化对生态环境的效应。研究表明：①11年间浦东新区农业用地和水体急剧减少,其中农业用地减少了58.16%,水体减少了 17.4%;②1990~2001年浦东新区城市扩展用地55%由农业用地转化而来,35.26%由水体转化而来;③土地利用的快速变化引发了水资源面积减少、水体污染加重和需水量增加,以及大气污染加重、大气温度上升和地面热中心面积扩大等生态环境问题。     

Land use and cover dynamics in Africa since the nineteenth century: warped terrestrial photographs of North Ethiopia

Quantitative research on land use and land cover (LUC) in Africa usually addresses the second half of the twentieth century, by using remote sensing data. Terrestrial photographs, which are available since 1868 in Ethiopia, are seldom used in a quantitative way. This paper presents a methodology that allows to produce land use and land cover (LUC) maps on the basis of old terrestrial photographs. Therefore, land use and land cover was investigated on historical and present-day photographs, and these interpretations were warped to the horizontal plane of the map. The resulting maps allow to gain better insights into LUC changes over a period of 140 years. The results show that woody vegetation increased strongly, together with an increase in built-up area. This occurred especially at the expense of bushland. The study validates pervious findings and shows that improved land management strategies in one of the world’s most degraded areas can lead to environmental rehabilitation.     

Land Cover and Use Changes in Relation to the Institutional Framework and Tenure of Land and Resources in Eastern Tanzania Miombo Woodlands

In Tanzania, well-defined land tenure and resource protection apply in forest reserves which account for 30% of forested land, while the remaining 70% (mostly miombo woodlands) are village and general lands with very limited protection. The aim of this study was to determine local peoples ownership rights, knowledge and institutional capacity for sustainable management of resources in forest reserves and general lands. Data were collected using participatory rural appraisal, structured and semi-structured interviews, as well as aerial photographs and landsat images. In general lands, woodlands declined by 50% between 1964 and 1996, bushlands and croplands increased by 599%, and settlements and homegardens increased by 277%. These land use and vegetation structure changes are attributed to harvesting for charcoal production and shifting cultivation. The continued decline in aerial woodland cover in the general lands suggests that common property regimes do not function in the area. Local institutional capacities are weak in enforcing control mechanisms to check the overuse of resources, which tends to approximate open access conditions. The issues of land tenure and village empowerment are not only institutional, but also political in nature. Government institutions should provide and motivate for an enabling environment, including acknowledgement of traditional knowledge, well-defined property rights and operational village by-laws. In order to ensure equity and sustainable development of natural resources, the paradigm shift in management is important whereby communal goods are to be managed for the benefit of the local society.     

Monitoring a Recent Delta Formation in a Tropical Coastal Wetland Using Remote Sensing and GIS. Case Study: Guapo River Delta, Laguna de Tacarigua, Venezuela

The integrated use of remotely sensed data and GIS to monitor a rapid recent delta formation was undertaken in the Tacarigua Lagoon, a mangrove coastal protected wetland in the north-central coast of Venezuela. Recently, the resource value of coastal wetlands such as coastal lagoons and deltas, has brought about a need to protect and conserve these ecosystems. To that end, valuable resources such as these should be continuously monitored so that temporal changes in their environment can be analysed. The importance of determining the cause, extent, and spatial distribution of these changes can then be used in different aspects of environmental studies, land suitability analyses and for wise resource management. Aerospace data interpretation and a field survey were utilised to study the formation of the Guapo River delta within the Tacarigua Lagoon and to map the expansion that this depositional environment has undergone. A historical set of aerial photographs and a radar image, together with a GIS, were used to assess the growth of the delta from the beginning of its formation up to the present time.     

基于多源遥感影像融合的武汉市土地利用分类方法研究

准确高效的获取土地利用信息,对于合理利用和开发土地资源具有十分重要的意义。在快速城镇化地区,土地利用活动频繁且密集,土地利用格局演变十分剧烈,增加了城市土地利用精准分类的不确定性;且受环境气候和云雨天气影响增加了有效光学影像获取的难度。为提高城市土地分类精度,该文选取武汉市中心城区为研究案例,以Sentinel-1A和Landsat8 OLI影像为数据源,采用Gram-Schmidt变换方法进行影像融合,选取最大似然、支持向量机、CART决策树、BP神经网络等4种分类方法对融合的影像进行分类,提取了研究区土地利用信息,并对其进行分析。进一步,通过与光学影像的分类结果对比,探究了Sentinel-1A和Landsat8 OLI融合影像在土地利用信息提取方面是否具有优势。研究结果表明:(1)对比其他3种方法,CART决策树分类方法对于融合后的影像分类精度最高,总体分类精度和Kappa系数分别达到88.55%和0.841 4;(2)与光学影像相比,Sentinel-1A和Landsat8 OLI融合影像可以更有效地获取高精度城市土地利用信息;(3)基于多源遥感影像融合的CART决策树分类方法是获取研究区高精度土地利用信息的一种行之有效的技术手段。研究成果可为快速城镇化区域的土地利用分类提供参考。     

喀纳斯自然保护区生态系统服务价值变化研究

生态系统可持续发展是随着全球范围内可持续发展研究的深入和人们对环境破坏和资源利用认识的不断加深而逐渐形成的.人类社会的可持续发展从根本上取决于生态系统及其服务的可持续性,本文应用喀纳斯自然保护区1980、2005年两期Landsat TM影像解译数据,参照谢高地等制定的中国生态系统单位面积生态服务当量因子和新疆布尔津县单位面积农田生态系统提供的食物生产服务的经济价值,确定喀纳斯自然保护区生态系统单位面积生态服务价值系数,对保护区生态系统服务价值及其变化进行了估算和比较.结果表明,林地和草地是喀纳斯自然保护区主要的土地利用类型,25年间土地利用总体上发生了明显变化,林地面积在减少,革地、水域、建设用地面积略有增加;保护区生态系统服务价值由1980年的37.289亿元减少至2005年的36.351亿元,有林地和离覆盖度草地的减少是服务价值降低的主要原因;主要由林地、草地和水域提供的维持生物多样性、水文调节、气候调节、保持土壤等单项功能服务价值均呈现不同程度地减少,说明保护区生态系统结构和功能已受到影响,保护区生态环境质量不断趋向退化.     

Land Cover Changes Between 1968 and 2003 In Cai Nuoc,Ca Mau Peninsula,Vietnam

Since 2000, the shrimp industry expands at a fast rate in the coastal areas of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Shrimp farming is known for its negative impact on the coastal environment. However, other human interventions like agriculture and urbanization also deteriorate the coastal environment. The land cover changes between 1968 and 2003 were determined and analyzed for the Cai Nuoc district, Ca Mau Province, Vietnam, using photos from 1968, 1992 (aerial photographs), 1997/98 (Spot) and 2003 (Landsat). It was clear that the district underwent serious land cover changes: deforestation between 1968 and 1992, with a simultaneous increase in rice land; a rapid decline in rice acreage from 1997 onwards, and, simultaneously, a blitz-increase in shrimp farming area. The forest area declined by 75% between 1968 and 2003. About 40% of this loss could be attributed to shrimp farming, while the remaining 60% was attributed to needs for agricultural land. Still, at present, shrimp farming is the major source of mangrove loss in the district. In 1999 shrimp farms covered 6.374 ha, in 2000 they covered 61.049 ha of the Cai Nuoc area. The swap from rice cultivation to shrimp farming was most-probably driven by households’ hopes for a higher income. It must be feared that the shrimp industry will have a negative impact on the environment (e.g. salinization) and on the livelihood of the district’s households. In 1968 saline water covered 219.9 km², in 1992, 1997/98 and 2003 the saline surface water area covered 92.4, 135.2 and 835.0 km², respectively. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

2000～2015年山地城市土地利用景观格局动态演变研究——以重庆市渝北区为例

以重庆市渝北区为例,借助地理信息系统和遥感手段,利用Landsat TM 遥感数据和DEM数据,采用景观指数分析、地形位指数和分布指数等计算方法,对渝北区 2000、2005、2010 和 2015 年土地利用景观格局变化特征进行了分析,着重探讨了不同地形、坡度下各种景观类型变化情况,以及它们之间的相互关系,以期为在相似条件下的城市最佳土地利用模式选择提供一定的借鉴和参考。结果表明：（1）渝北区土地资源以中、高级地形位为主,海拔 200 m 以下,坡度6°以下的土地资源比较匮乏;（2）渝北区主要的景观类型是耕地和林地,但耕地景观总的趋势是不断减少,林地不断增加,建设用地增长较快,总体上景观破碎化程度在增加,景观多样性呈上升趋势;（3）研究期内,中低级地形位区间内大量耕地转变为建设用地,林地、草地景观面积的分布趋势随着地形位指数成正相关关系,其优势地形位主要集中于高级别地形位区间。     

Toward achieving a sustainable management: characterization of land use/land cover in Sokoto Rima floodplain,Nigeria

Land use change is the main driving force of global environmental change and is considered as very central to the ongoing debate on sustainable development. Even though large volume of literature materials is available of land use/land cover (LU/LC) change for many areas, very little is known of it in the floodplain of the Sokoto Rima River Basin of Nigeria despite the basin’s strategic importance. Thus, this study characterized the basin’s LU/LC and its change using computer-based digital classification of near-anniversary Landsat 5 TM imagery of November 23, 1998, and Landsat 8 OLI of December 2, 2013. The results of the digital classification were complimented with field-based observations on major observable characteristics of every LU/LC identified. Thirteen classes (forest area, dense grassland, grassy fallow, grazed open grassland, open cultivation, open grain fallow farmland, pepper cultivation, rice farmland, scrubland, sugarcane farmland, dry bare land, sand deposit and wetland/water) were characterized and the nature and extent of their changes assessed. 40 % of the basin’s uses is under cultivation, 22 % is under fallow, 27 % is either degraded or non-cultivable, while 11 % is forested. Change events include forest loss, increase in area cultivated, expansion of shrub/scrubland and pervasiveness of grazing. The changes were more pronounced in the upper than either the central and southern segments of the basin. In general LU/LC changes in the basin are reflection of increased human population pressure and effects of climate change. The LU/LC patterns and changes suggest underutilization and mismanagement of the floodplain which have impact on soil, hydrology and biodiversity with serious implication for livelihood and food security. The study recommends that interventions are needed to promote enhanced and sustainable management of land, water and vegetation resources in the basin, with particular emphasis on empowering the local land users to participate actively toward sustainable management of the floodplain.     

Assessment of the hunting of mammals using local ecological knowledge: an example from the Brazilian semiarid region

The hunting of wild animals remains a common activity in various parts of the world, especially in rural communities with poor socioeconomic conditions. To investigate patterns of mammal hunting, this study adopted a rural community located in semiarid Brazil as a model to test whether variables such as perceived abundance, activity period (day or night) and animal biomass could influence the consumption potential of mammal taxa. For this study, a checklist/interview technique using 32 photographs of mammals recorded in the region and two photographs of species that did not occur in the region, which acted as “control” species, was used, in addition to other visual stimuli and free lists. All species presented in the photographs, with the exception of the “control” species, were recognized as occurring in the region. Fourteen species were cited as being those most hunted locally. The species cited as most hunted had an average perceived abundance higher than the group of the least-hunted species. However, there was no significant relationship between hunting of a species and its locally perceived abundance. No significant difference in hunting pressure between diurnal and nocturnal species was found, nor was a relationship between animal biomass and hunting pressure observed. Our findings suggest that perceived abundance is an important factor for choosing a resource fauna, but other factors such as intended use, meat flavor and vulnerability to hunting, among others, may influence the potential use of a species.     

Dynamics of vegetation in the tundra-taiga ecotone on the Kola Peninsula depending on climate fluctuations

The dynamics of northern forest boundary and the state of vegetation in the tundra-taiga ecotone in the northwestern Kola Peninsula have been evaluated using Landsat satellite images obtained in 1986 and 2005, the years encompassing the period of recent climate warming. Values of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in these years have been calculated to construct a differential index image reflecting changes in the vegetation. Its analysis has revealed an increase in the density of open forests and in the thickness of dwarf shrub vegetation, which has expanded to the lichen tundra.     

洪泽湖地区土地利用与景观格局演变

基于多时点 TM/ETM影像解译数据,运用遥感、GIS和景观生态学方法,分析洪泽湖地区近 18 a的土地利用变化和景观格局演变过程,揭示该地区内各种土地利用时空变化特征,并得出3个时期景观类型分布特征、景观格局变化的趋势及特征。结果表明：（1）区域内土地利用变化显著,整体处于不平衡的状态,主要表现为耕地持续减少、建设用地迅速增加、林地先增后减及草地和水域略有增加;（2）研究区景观结构和景观异质性发生了较大变化,斑块数目增加、平均斑块面积减少,景观多样性指数、景观均匀度指数总体上升,在区域景观破碎化程度加剧的同时,各景观类型间差异缩小,景观结构趋于多样化、均匀化和破碎化。最后,指出人类活动,尤其是经济建设是土地利用景观格局变化的主要因素,并对地区的生态可持续发展提出了相应建议     

东洞庭湖水面面积变化监测及其与水位的关系

开展东洞庭湖水面面积长时间变化监测研究对于湖区洪涝旱灾监测、灾害评估等具有重要意义。采用2000~2017年的经过辐射一致性校正的Landsat Collection 1遥感数据集,在ENVI遥感数据处理平台下采用4种常见的水体提取方法（单波段阈值、多波段谱间关系、水体指数、支持向量机）开展了水面面积遥感提取方法比较及东洞庭湖区长时间序列水面面积提取,以此数据为基础开展了东洞庭湖区近18年来湖区水面面积年内和年际变化研究,并探讨了水面面积与城陵矶水文站水位之间的相关关系。结果显示：Landsat Collection 1遥感数据集具有较高的空间和时间分辨率,可以满足东洞庭区长时间序列水面面积提取,且水面面积提取精度较好;采用支持向量机方法提取的湖区多年水面面积平均值为569.9 km2,丰水期水面范围波动较大,而枯水期变化较小;湖区水面面积变化与城陵矶水位变化存在紧密相关关系,不管线性模型还是多项式模型均能准确地描述两者变化关系,受湖区地形分布特征影响,水面面积与水位之间的关系在丰水期较紧密,而枯水期两者之间的相关关系明显降低。     

Land use change in Southern Romania after the collapse of socialism

The drastic socio-economic and political changes that occurred after the breakdown of socialism in Eastern Europe triggered widespread land use change, including cropland abandonment and forest cover changes. Yet the rates and spatial patterns of post-socialist land use change remain largely unclear. We used Landsat TM/ETM+ images to classify land cover maps and assess landscape pattern changes from 1990 to 2005 in Argeş County, Southern Romania. Cropland abandonment was the most widespread change (21.1% abandonment rate), likely due to declining returns from farming, tenure insecurity, and demographic developments during transition. Forest cover and forest fragmentation remained remarkably stable during transition, despite widespread ownership transfers. Cropland abandonment provides opportunities for increased carbon sequestration, but threatens cultural landscapes and biodiversity. Continued monitoring is important for assessing whether abandoned croplands will eventually reforest or be put back into production and to better understand the consequences of post-socialist land use change for ecosystems and biodiversity.     

Land use and socioeconomic influences on a vulnerable freshwater resource in northern New England, United States

Land use and cover conversions as well as climatic factors drive current and future threats to freshwater systems. Research from the United States and across the globe has focused on already threatened and degraded freshwater systems, whose recovery requires significant investments. Attention must also be directed to monitoring freshwater systems that may appear robust, yet are likely to face enhanced vulnerabilities in the future due to climate and land use and cover changes. Such proactive monitoring can help identify problems early and provide potential solutions. In this study, we consider the case of Sebago Lake and its watershed in southern Maine; a region that has experienced significant population growth and development activity. Land use, socioeconomic change and water quality trends are monitored over a 20-year period using Landsat imagery, census, water quality and precipitation data. Our results indicate that Developed Land within the watershed has increased from 5.4 % of the total land area in 1987 to 8.9 % in 2009 with associated increases in population and housing activity. Sebago Lake’s water quality indicators from 1990 to 2010 show a directional trend concomitant with this change. The increase in Developed Land is likely to place additional pressures on water quality in the future. The analysis also indicates that precipitation trends play an important role in water quality variability for Sebago Lake. Predicted changes to climatic factors including enhanced spring time precipitation or earlier ice-out conditions combined with further land use change may play an influential role in determining water quality. The analysis highlights emerging areas of concern and reiterates the essential role of proactively monitoring vulnerable systems to help mitigate future threats.     

湖北省土地资源遥感调查与评价

根据1999年TM影像解译了湖北省土地利用现状，然后以土地利用现状图为基础，采用地理信息系统技术，结合湖北省的实际情况，选择土壤、地形、坡度等评价因子，对湖北省土地资源进行了适宜性评价，简要地将全省土地资源划分为九等。评价结果表明：湖北省水热条件好，土地适宜性广，宜农林牧业同时利用的土地广泛分布；但是该省的基本农田面积小，土地垦殖率高，低产田面积大，后备耕地资源严重不足；土地利用结构与土地资源的供给条件、利用要求不相适宜，利用效益末得到充分发挥。