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Using multitemporal Landsat TM imagery to establish land use pressure induced trends in forest and woodland cover in sections of the Soutpansberg Mountains of Venda region, Limpopo Province, South Africa

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Abstract

Globally, tropical forests are being perturbed by human activity. Tropical vegetation constitutes some of the largest terrestrial carbon stocks against the build up of greenhouse gases. In this paper, a local-scale case study utilising remote sensing methodology in estimating forest loss is presented, for a section of tropical South Africa’s Soutpansberg Mountains where land use pressure threatens some of the last remaining indigenous forests. Landsat TM images from October 1990, August 2000 and September 2006 were used, together with municipality level demographic data. Hybrid image classification techniques distinguished forest cover on the images, which were classified into vegetation density categories. About 20% of forest and woodland cover was lost in the 16-year analysis period, mainly due to pine and eucalyptus plantation and residential housing expansions. The local-scale key drivers behind the deforestation are examined.

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Acknowledgments

This research was facilitated by a Cooperation Fund grant from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), for collaborative research with the University of Venda.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Natural Resources and the Environment Unit, Ecosystems Earth Observation Research Group, P.O. Box 395, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa

    Christopher Munyati

  2. Department of Geography and GIS, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Venda, Private bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa

    Tibanganyuka A. Kabanda

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  1. Christopher Munyati
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  2. Tibanganyuka A. Kabanda
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Correspondence to Christopher Munyati.

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Munyati, C., Kabanda, T.A. Using multitemporal Landsat TM imagery to establish land use pressure induced trends in forest and woodland cover in sections of the Soutpansberg Mountains of Venda region, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Reg Environ Change 9, 41–56 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-008-0066-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-008-0066-4

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