Analysis of Land and Vegetation Cover Dynamics Using Remote Sensing & Gis Techiniques, A Case Study of Nechisar National Park
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Date
2008-02
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Addis Ababa Universty
Abstract
The research aims to analyze the trend of land and vegetation cover dynamics over the period
from 1976, 1986 2000 and 2007 thus examine the conservation status of the area and generate
up-to-date land cover map. Information is extracted from various Satellite images of multidated
Landsat, ASTER and MODIS images. The Landsat images are the basic remote sensing data to
generate the thematic maps which are further analyzed to show the cover dynamics in the park
for 24years. All data s from the satellite images are processesed and analyzed using digital
image processing techniques. Besides, different vector data are extracted from the images as
well as other thematic maps. MODIS-NDVI images are analyzed for the different land cover
classes and each vegetation cover seasonal response is compared for the year 2000 and 2005.
The land cover classes identified in the study area from 1976, 1986, 2000 and 2007 are water
body, riparian and ground water (GW) forest, wood land, dense bush land, bushy shrubbed
grass land, open grass land, degraded grass land, cultivated land, swamp vegetation and bare
land. Rate of land cover change and fragmentation of habitat were discussed for the different
land cover classes. Rate of land cover change, fragmentation index and land cover conversion
matrix clearly shows the dynamics of the different cover classes has happened for the past
decades and generally the park conservation status is found to be poor. Bush encroachment in
the study area is a major challenge to the park particularly for the grass land and overgrazing
on the Nechisar plain has caused expansion of invasive plants erosion and land degradation.
The community livelihood dependency both in the rural and urban setting is concluded and
discussed as a challenge to the park from biodiversity conservation point of view.
Key Words: Land cover dynamics, National park, Vegetation cover, Remote sensing and GIS,
Habitat fragmentation, degradation, biodiversity conservation
Description
Keywords
Land cover dynamics, National park, Vegetation cover, Remote sensing and GIS, Habitat fragmentation, Degradation, Biodiversity conservation