The 2013–2014 vegetation structure map of Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, produced using free satellite images and software

dc.contributor.authorArraut, Eduardo M.
dc.contributor.authorLoveridge, Andrew J.
dc.contributor.authorChamaillé-Jammes, Simon
dc.contributor.authorValls-Fox, Hugo
dc.contributor.authorMacdonald, David W.
dc.date.accessioned2019-02-01T08:38:31Z
dc.date.available2019-02-01T08:38:31Z
dc.date.issued2018-09-27
dc.description.abstractVegetation mapping of protected areas is a cornerstone of conservation worldwide. Established in 1928 and covering over 1.4 million hectares, Hwange National Park (HNP) is the largest natural reserve in Zimbabwe. In 1993, the sole comprehensive map of its vegetation to date was produced and since then it has been used in numerous research and conservation endeavours. Over the last two decades, however, the park’s vegetation changed, safari areas and forest reserves were created at its edge and high-positional accuracy data on a suite of species were collected. To tend to contemporary mapping needs, in this article, we present the 2013–2014 vegetation structure map of HNP and its surroundings. It was produced by supervised classification of Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) images, indices derived from these and the Landsat Tree Cover Continuous Field product. Its accuracy was assessed statistically using samples collected from high-resolution satellite imagery and basic ancillary field data. Of its total pixels, 83.2% were correctly classified. Mean omission and commission error were, respectively, 0.82 (0.74–0.90) and 0.82 (0.72–0.89), and this similarity held on a per class basis, indicating reliable area estimates. It was produced using only freely available imagery and software. Conservation implications: In addition to providing researchers and conservationists working within and around HNP with an updated vegetation map, aiming at an even broader audience, we provide a step-by-step approach for using modern freely available imagery and software for cost-effectively mapping HNP in future or other protected savannas across Africa.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentZoology and Entomologyen_ZA
dc.description.librarianam2019en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorshipInstituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia para Mudanças Climáticas (INCT-MC), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), UK Natural Environment Research Council and Oxford University, grant ANR-11-CEPS-003 of the French ‘Agence National de la Recherche’, together with grants to D.W.M. from the Kirk-Turner, Robertson and Recanati-Kaplan Foundations.en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.koedoe.co.zaen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationArraut, E.M., Loveridge, A.J., Chamaillé-Jammes, S., Valls-Fox, H. & Macdonald, D.W., 2018, ‘The 2013–2014 vegetation structure map of Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, produced using free satellite images and software’, Koedoe 60(1), a1497. https://DOI.org/ 10.4102/koedoe.v60i1.1497.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0075-6458 (print)
dc.identifier.issn2071-0771 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.4102/koedoe.v60i1.1497
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/68349
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherAOSIS Open Journalsen_ZA
dc.rights© 2018. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.en_ZA
dc.subjectVegetation mappingen_ZA
dc.subjectHwange National Park (HNP)en_ZA
dc.subjectVegetation structure mapen_ZA
dc.subjectSsatellite images and softwareen_ZA
dc.titleThe 2013–2014 vegetation structure map of Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, produced using free satellite images and softwareen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

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