Towards a Remote Sensing Based Assessment of Land Susceptibility to Degradation: Examining Seasonal Variation in Land Use-Land Cover for Modelling Land Degradation in a Semi-Arid Context

Mashame, Gofamodimo; Akinyemi, Felicia O.

doi:10.5194/isprsannals-iii-8-137-2016

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Several studies have adopted remotely sensed data to assess and monitor the spatial and temporal variability of landscape transformation and LULCC (Karnieli et al, 2008 ; Mashame & Akinyemia, 2016 ; Match et al, 2012 ; Ganasri & Dwarakish, 2015 ). Conventional LULC monitoring techniques such as field surveys, review of existing literature, map interpretation, and ancillary data analysis are often tedious, time-consuming, and costly (Xie et al, 2008 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of land use and land cover change on land degradation in rural semi-arid South Africa: case of the Greater Sekhukhune District Municipality

Kgaphola

Ramoelo

Odindi

et al. 2023

Environ Monit Assess

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In semi-arid regions, interactions between biophysical and socio-economic variables are complex. Such interactions and their respective variables significantly alter land use and land cover, degrade landscape’s structure, and impede the efficacy of the adopted land management interventions. This scenario is particularly prevalent in communal land tenure system or areas managed by a hybrid of traditional and state led institutions. Hence, this study sought to investigate the impacts of land use and land cover changes (LULCCs) on land degradation (LD) under communal rural districts, and the key drivers of habitat fragmentation in the Greater Sekhukhune District Municipality (GSDM), South Africa. The study used the wet and dry season multi-temporal remotely sensed image data, key-informant interviews, and workshop with tribal council to determine the major drivers of LULCC and LD. Results revealed that mines and quarries, subsistence and commercial cultivation, and thicket/dense bush LULCs declined significantly during the study period. These LULCs mostly declined in wet season, with loss in vegetation cover highly prevalent. Specifically, the highest conversions were from shrub/grassland to bare soil, thicket/dense bush to shrub/grassland, and shrub/grassland to residential, respectively. Generally, LULCC affected vegetation productivity within the study area, with increased negative NDVI values observed during the dry season. The findings from key informants and the tribal council workshop emphasized that soil erosion, abandonment of cropland, and injudicious land use (i.e. overgrazing and consequent bush encroachment) have severely degraded the land. The study also established that the degrading land can be attributed to the weakening local communal land management system, particularly the weakening tribal councils. The study recommends an urgent need for collaborative (i.e. government, tribal authorities, and land users) land management through designing relevant multi-stakeholder LD mitigation measures.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of land use and land cover change on land degradation in rural semi-arid South Africa: case of the Greater Sekhukhune District Municipality

Kgaphola

Ramoelo

Odindi

et al. 2023

Environ Monit Assess

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“…Rainfed farming is characterized by extensive planting, low yields, and abandonment in drought years. Extensive management and development easily fall into a vicious cycle of exploitation-abandonment-redevelopment-abandonment [13][14][15]. The suitability of the scale of irrigated and rainfed agriculture directly affects the stability of semi-arid Land 2022, 11, 1621 2 of 13 sandy regions [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of Irrigated and Rainfed Agricultural Land in a Semi-Arid Sandy Area

Zheng

Sang

Wang

et al. 2022

Land

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Under water resource and terrain constraints, a certain scale threshold of irrigated and rainfed agricultural areas exists in semi-arid sandy areas. If this threshold is exceeded, water and soil resources will be unbalanced, and the ecological environment will deteriorate. Accurate assessment of the suitable scale of cultivated land in semi-arid sandy areas is of great significance for sustainable utilization of cultivated land resources and regional ecological security. Most existing research methods are based on water resource constraints and rarely consider terrain factors. Therefore, based on the principle of water balance and with the Horqin Left Wing Rear Banner as the research area, this study adopted a multi-objective fuzzy optimization model and relative terrain index analysis method to explore the appropriate spatial ratio of irrigation and rainfed agriculture. The results show that the area of irrigated agriculture in the study area is 77,700 hm2, and the appropriate scale is 91,700 hm2. The current area of dry farming is 184,600 hm2, and the suitable scale is 117,100 hm2. The results also show that the utilization efficiency of water and soil resources in irrigated agriculture was not optimal, rainfed agriculture exceeded its suitable scale, and water and soil resources were seriously unbalanced. However, the region of cultivated land that exceeds the appropriate scale is mostly located in an area with poor terrain, less precipitation, and other unsuitable conditions for cultivation, which is prone to abandonment, resulting in deterioration of the ecological environment. Therefore, the spatial layout of agricultural land use in the study area should be adapted to local conditions, and the water-saving structure of irrigated agriculture should be optimized to achieve the maximum comprehensive benefits. Dry farming should be controlled on a reasonable scale, and the part exceeding the appropriate scale should be returned to grassland to ensure sustainable development.

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Climate Change and Variability in Semiarid Palapye, Eastern Botswana: An Assessment from Smallholder Farmers’ Perspective

Akinyemi

2017

Weather, Climate, and Society

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Smallholder farmers are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and variability in semiarid contexts. Despite the limited adaptation options often used and the largely subsistence agriculture practiced, studies have shown that smallholders have accumulated local knowledge about changes in climatic conditions. Farmers with field experience and an extensive stay in three sites in Palapye, eastern Botswana, were interviewed. This study related farmers’ perceptions of changes in climate with results from analysis of climate data. Major changes perceived are a reduction in rainfall amount, rising temperature, and increasing frequency of drought conditions. Perceived reduction in rainfall amount is confirmed by analysis results as variability in rainfall amount is high throughout the series. Rainfall was poorly distributed and below average at the beginning of the cropping seasons for four years between 2013 and 2017. For 1990, 2003, and 2012, the standardized precipitation index (SPI) was −1.77 (severe drought), −1.37 (moderate drought), and −2.32 (extreme drought), respectively. To minimize impacts on crop production, farmers simultaneously planted different crops based on the perception that climatic impacts on different crops vary and favored crops perceived as drought resistant. Livestock farmers supplemented with livestock feeds, reduced herd size, and moved livestock to areas with better forage. Off-farm incomes from selling products harvested from the wild are important to farmers as a coping strategy, particularly when rain fails. Some female farmers brewed and sold alcohol made locally from sorghum. That local knowledge and perceptions exist and are used by smallholder farmers to adapt to climate change and variability is suggested. Engaging with local knowledge systems is an imperative for climate change policy making.

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Towards a Remote Sensing Based Assessment of Land Susceptibility to Degradation: Examining Seasonal Variation in Land Use-Land Cover for Modelling Land Degradation in a Semi-Arid Context

Cited by 3 publications

References 8 publications

Impact of land use and land cover change on land degradation in rural semi-arid South Africa: case of the Greater Sekhukhune District Municipality

Impact of land use and land cover change on land degradation in rural semi-arid South Africa: case of the Greater Sekhukhune District Municipality

Distribution of Irrigated and Rainfed Agricultural Land in a Semi-Arid Sandy Area

Climate Change and Variability in Semiarid Palapye, Eastern Botswana: An Assessment from Smallholder Farmers’ Perspective

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