Monitoring of Vegetation Disturbance around Protected Areas in Central Tanzania Using Landsat Time-Series Data

Abstract

Understanding vegetation disturbance around protected areas (PAs) is critical as it significantly affects the sustainable conservation of wildlife. However, there is a lack of analyses of consistent long-term data on vegetation disturbance. In this study, the LandTrendr algorithm and Google Earth Engine were used to access satellite data and explore the vegetation dynamics history across the Ruaha–Rungwa landscape, Tanzania. We characterized vegetation disturbance patterns and change attributes, including disturbance occurrence trends, rate, and severity, by using each pixel’s normalized burn ratio index time series. Between 2000 and 2019, 36% of the vegetation was significantly disturbed by anthropogenic activities. The results of this study show that the disturbance trends, severity, and patterns are highly variable and strongly depend on the management approaches implemented in the heterogeneous landscape: Ruaha National Park (RNP), Rungwa–Kizigo–Muhesi Game Reserves (RKMGR), and the surrounding zones. The disturbance rates and severity were pronounced and increased toward the edges of the western RKMGR. However, the disturbance in the areas surrounding the RNP was lower. The characterization of the vegetation disturbance over time provides spatial information that is necessary for policy makers, managers, and conservationists to understand the ongoing long-term changes in large PAs.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, income of local communities and biodiversity conservation: Evidence from Burunge wildlife management area, Tanzania

“…[ 43 ] in the Esilalei, Barabarani, and Migombani villages within the Tarangire-Manyara ecosystem indicated that the primary socio-economic activities in these locations are subsistence farming, cattle husbandry, and other tourism-based activities. Moreover, research conducted in villages near Saadani NP (SANAPA) indicated that many indigenous and local societies located near protected and conserved areas depend largely on agricultural practices and livestock keeping and that the observed variation among such villages was influenced by the size of the local people's landholdings and the geographical location of the specific villages to the parklands [ [44] , [45] , [46] ]. In addition to that [ 47 ], found that most areas inhabited by Maasai people, including rural villages in Simanjiro, which are found in the Tarangire-Manyara Ecosystem, and Amboseli, were interested in crop cultivation compared to other socio-economic activities.…”

The SWADE model for landslide dating in time series of optical satellite imagery

“…In the LandTrendr method, the assignment of eight parameters is quite challenging. Here, we summarized the LandTrendr parameters among 19 publications related to the application of land cover and land use around the world (Yang et al 2018;Kennedy et al 2018;Xu et al 2019;Hislop et al 2019;Hurtado and Lizarazo 2019;Filippelli et al 2020;Mugiraneza et al 2020;Xiao et al 2020b;Giannetti et al 2020;De Jong et al 2021;Matsala et al 2021;Ni et al 2021;Powers 2021;Rodman et al 2021;Gomez 2021;Kolecka 2021;Komba et al 2021;Long et al 2021;Runge et al 2022). From this literature overview two main points are concluded: (1) five out of the eight parameters do not vary substantially among those applications when comparing to the default parameters (Kennedy et al 2018), e.g.…”

Tourism Status and Sources of Income to Local Communities Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Implications in Biodiversity Conservation in Burunge Wildlife Management Area in Tanzania

“…For instance, a study by Kaswamila (2009) in the Esilalei, Barabarani, and Migombani villages within the Tarangire-Manyara ecosystem indicated that the primary socioeconomic activities in these locations are subsistence farming, cattle husbandry, and other tourism-based activities. Moreover, research conducted in villages near Saadani National Park (SANAPA) indicated that many indigenous and local societies situated near protected and conserved areas depend largely on agricultural practices and livestock keeping, and that the observed variation among such villages was in uenced by the size of the local people's landholdings and the geographical location of the speci c villages to the parklands (Komba et al, 2021;Mmbaga et al, 2021;Moshi, 2016).…”