Spatio-temporal dynamics in land use and habit fragmentation in Sandveld, South Africa

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorKrug, Cornelia B.
dc.contributor.advisorKnight, Richard
dc.contributor.authorMagidi, James Takawira
dc.contributor.otherFaculty of Science
dc.date.accessioned2013-12-04T08:36:04Z
dc.date.accessioned2024-10-30T11:28:40Z
dc.date.available2011/02/16 09:25
dc.date.available2011/02/16
dc.date.available2013-12-04T08:36:04Z
dc.date.available2024-10-30T11:28:40Z
dc.date.issued2010
dc.descriptionMagister Scientiae (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology) - MSc (Biodiv and Cons Biol)en_US
dc.description.abstractThis research assessed landuse changes and trends in vegetation cover in the Sandveld, using remote sensing images. Landsat TM satellite images of 1990, 2004 and 2007 were classified using the maximum likelihood classifier into seven landuse classes, namely water, agriculture, fire patches, natural vegetation, wetlands, disturbed veld, and open sands. Change detection using remote sensing algorithms and landscape metrics was performed on these multi-temporal landuse maps using the Land Change Modeller and Patch Analyst respectively. Markov stochastic modelling techniques were used to predict future scenarios in landuse change based on the classified images and their transitional probabilities. MODIS NDVI multi-temporal datasets with a 16day temporal resolution were used to assess seasonal and annual trends in vegetation cover using time series analysis (PCA and time profiling).Results indicated that natural vegetation decreased from 46% to 31% of the total landscape between 1990 and 2007 and these biodiversity losses were attributed to an increasing agriculture footprint. Predicted future scenario based on transitional probabilities revealed a continual loss in natural habitat and increase in the agricultural footprint. Time series analysis results (principal components and temporal profiles) suggested that the landscape has a high degree of overall dynamic change with pronounced inter and intra-annual changes and there was an overall increase in greenness associated with increase in agricultural activity. The study concluded that without future conservation interventions natural habitats would continue to disappear, a condition that will impact heavily on biodiversity and significant waterdependent ecosystems such as wetlands. This has significant implications for the long-term provision of water from ground water reserves and for the overall sustainability of current agricultural practices.en_US
dc.description.countrySouth Africa
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10566/16836
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of the Western Capeen_US
dc.rights.holderUniversity of the Western Capeen_US
dc.subjectChange detectionen_US
dc.subjectHabitat Fragmentationen_US
dc.subjectLandsaten_US
dc.subjectMarkov Modelsen_US
dc.subjectCell Automated Markov Analysisen_US
dc.subjectModerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometeren_US
dc.subjectNormalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)en_US
dc.subjectPrincipal Component Analysis (PCA)en_US
dc.subjectRemote sensingen_US
dc.subjectTime Series Analysisen_US
dc.titleSpatio-temporal dynamics in land use and habit fragmentation in Sandveld, South Africaen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Magidi_MSC_2010.pdf
Size:
13.11 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

Magister Scientiae (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology) - MSc (Biodiv & Cons Biol)