Landsat time series reveal forest loss and woody encroachment in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania

作者：Joana Borges, Thomas Higginbottom, Bradley Cain, Donatus E. Gadiye, Alex Kisingo, Martin Jones, Elías Symeonakis · 发表于：Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation · 年份：2022 · DOI：10.1002/rse2.277 · 被引用次数：23 · 研究领域：Remote Sensing in Agriculture、Wildlife Ecology and Conservation、Land Use and Ecosystem Services

Abstract The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) of Tanzania, is globally significant for biodiversity conservation due to the presence of iconic fauna, and, since 1959 has been managed as a unique multiple land‐use areas to mutually benefit wildlife and indigenous residents. Understating vegetation dynamics and ongoing land cover change processes in protected areas is important to protect biodiversity and ensure sustainable development. However, land cover changes in savannahs are especially difficult, as changes are often long‐term and subtle. Here, we demonstrate a Landsat‐based monitoring strategy incorporating (i) regression‐based unmixing for the accurate mapping of the fraction of the different land cover types, and (ii) a combination of linear regression and the BFAST trend break analysis technique for mapping and quantifying land cover changes. Using Google Earth Pro and the EnMap‐Box software, the fractional cover of the main land cover types of the NCA were accurately mapped for the first time, namely bareland, bushland, cropland, forest, grassland, montane heath, shrubland, water and woodland. Our results show that the main changes occurring in the NCA are the degradation of upland forests into bushland: we exemplify this with a case study in the Lerai Forest; and found declines in grassland and co‐incident increases in shrubland in the Serengeti Plains, suggesting woody encroachment. These changes threaten the wellbeing of livestock, the livelihoods of resident pa...