Biodiversity & Ecology

Journal of the Division Biodiversity, Evolution and Ecology of Plants , Institute for Plant Science and Microbiology, University of Hamburg.

Land cover dynamics Research article Open Access

A radar- and LiDAR-based earth observation system for monitoring savanna woody structure in southern Africa

Renaud Mathieu*, Konrad Wessels, Russell Main, Laven Naidoo, Frans van der Bergh, Barend Erasmus

Article first published online: 24 April 2018

DOI: 10.7809/b-e.00345

*Corresponding author contact: rmathieu@csir.co.za

<< Volume 6

Biodiversity & Ecology (Biodivers. Ecol.)

Climate change and adaptive land management in southern Africa - assessments, changes, challenges, and solutions,
edited by Rasmus Revermann, Kristin M. Krewenka, Ute Schmiedel, Jane M. Olwoch, Jörg Helmschrot & Norbert Jürgens

Volume 6, pages 355-359, April 2018

PDF (2.8 MB)

English

Abstract: In southern Africa, landscapes are dominated by savannas, i.e., mixed tree-grass communities. These savannas are threatened by land clearing and degradation, as well as the densifi cation of woody plants, a process known as bush encroachment. There is, however, very limited spatial information on woody cover distribution and changes. Here, we report on the development of an operational system designed to map and monitor woody vegetation cover at a regional scale. This system is based on the combined use of freely available airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery. The integration of these two datasets provides an eff ective solution for assessing woody fractional cover in southern Africa beyond the level of details and accuracy previously available. Woody fractional cover was mapped at a national scale for South Africa and Namibia in 2010 and 2015 at 1 ha (100 × 100 m) pixel size.

Portuguese

Resumo: Na África Austral, as paisagens são dominadas por savanas, isto é, por comunidades de herbáceas e de lenhosas. Estas são ameaçadas pelo desmatamento e a degradação da terra, mas também, em muitas áreas, pela densifi cação de espécies lenhosas, conhecida por bush encroachment (invasão de lenhosas). Existe, porém, informação espacial muito limitada sobre a distribuição e as alterações da cobertura de espécies lenhosas. Neste artigo, relatamos o desenvolvimento de um sistema operacional desenhado para mapear e monitorizar a cobertura vegetal lenhosa à escala regional. Baseia-se no uso combinado de dados aéreos da tecnologia LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) disponíveis gratuitamente, e de imagens de satélite de SAR (Radar de Abertura Sintética). A integração destes dois conjuntos de dados fornece uma solução efi caz para avaliar a distribuição da savana e cobertura fracionada de lenhosas no Sul de África, para além do nível de detalhe e precisão actualmente disponíveis. A cobertura de lenhosas foi mapeada à escala nacional para a África do Sul e Namíbia em 2010 e 2015, com o tamanho de pixel de 1 ha (100 × 100 m).

Suggested citation:
Mathieu, R., Wessels, K., Main, R., Naidoo, L., van der Bergh, F. & Erasmus, B. (2018) A radar- and LiDAR-based earth observation system for monitoring savanna woody structure in southern Africa In: Climate change and adaptive land management in southern Africa – assessments, changes, challenges, and solutions (ed. by Revermann, R., Krewenka, K.M., Schmiedel, U., Olwoch, J.M., Helmschrot, J. & Jürgens, N.), pp. 355-359, Biodiversity & Ecology, 6, Klaus Hess Publishers, Göttingen & Windhoek. doi:10.7809/b-e.00345