The feasibility of using remote sensing and field-based checks to monitor the impact caused by collection of wood in the Eastern Cape/Ciskei forest and thicket formations

dc.contributor.advisorMoll, Eugene Jen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorLane, Karlen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2016-09-25T16:51:39Z
dc.date.available2016-09-25T16:51:39Z
dc.date.issued1989en_ZA
dc.descriptionBibliography: pages 71-83.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractA variety of studies have shown the problems of energy supply faced by low-income communities in southern Africa. Most of these communities are dependent upon indigenous fuelwood supplies. In addition, many of these communities use indigenous wood for construction. This largely uncontrolled utilisation imposes severe threats on woody vegetation communities. The Eastern Cape/Ciskei region is an area where energy supply problems are particularly severe and impacts on woody vegetation correspondingly severe. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using remote sensing techniques to monitor the the impact caused by collection of wood in the Eastern Cape/Ciskei forest and thicket communities. A variety of remote sensing techniques for landcover analysis were investigated. In all cases, visual interpretation was used because it is considerably cheaper and demands less technical expertise than would computer processing. In addition, many studies have shown visual interpretation to be superior. Maps were drawn from multitemporal aerial photograph sequences and from Landsat and SPOT satellite images. These maps showed that there has been relatively little change in area of woody vegetation in the study area since 1956. However, field studies showed that vegetation community structure had been degraded as a result of intense and sustained human impact. This qualitative decline also reflected a decline in usefulness of the woody vegetation of the area to local communities. This substantial degradation was not visible on any of the remote sensing imageries. This emphasises that field-based checks to monitor human impacts on forest and thicket formations are essential. Strategies for reducing the dependence of low-income communities on indigenous vegetation for energy supplies and constructional timber have been reviewed from the literature and these are descibed in Appendix 1. Most successful strategies in other parts of the world have been the result of a national commitment to tree planting, recognition of a multiplicity of constraints and the voluntary involvement of the communities the strategies are intended to assist.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationLane, K. (1989). <i>The feasibility of using remote sensing and field-based checks to monitor the impact caused by collection of wood in the Eastern Cape/Ciskei forest and thicket formations</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21929en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationLane, Karl. <i>"The feasibility of using remote sensing and field-based checks to monitor the impact caused by collection of wood in the Eastern Cape/Ciskei forest and thicket formations."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21929en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationLane, K. 1989. The feasibility of using remote sensing and field-based checks to monitor the impact caused by collection of wood in the Eastern Cape/Ciskei forest and thicket formations. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Lane, Karl AB - A variety of studies have shown the problems of energy supply faced by low-income communities in southern Africa. Most of these communities are dependent upon indigenous fuelwood supplies. In addition, many of these communities use indigenous wood for construction. This largely uncontrolled utilisation imposes severe threats on woody vegetation communities. The Eastern Cape/Ciskei region is an area where energy supply problems are particularly severe and impacts on woody vegetation correspondingly severe. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using remote sensing techniques to monitor the the impact caused by collection of wood in the Eastern Cape/Ciskei forest and thicket communities. A variety of remote sensing techniques for landcover analysis were investigated. In all cases, visual interpretation was used because it is considerably cheaper and demands less technical expertise than would computer processing. In addition, many studies have shown visual interpretation to be superior. Maps were drawn from multitemporal aerial photograph sequences and from Landsat and SPOT satellite images. These maps showed that there has been relatively little change in area of woody vegetation in the study area since 1956. However, field studies showed that vegetation community structure had been degraded as a result of intense and sustained human impact. This qualitative decline also reflected a decline in usefulness of the woody vegetation of the area to local communities. This substantial degradation was not visible on any of the remote sensing imageries. This emphasises that field-based checks to monitor human impacts on forest and thicket formations are essential. Strategies for reducing the dependence of low-income communities on indigenous vegetation for energy supplies and constructional timber have been reviewed from the literature and these are descibed in Appendix 1. Most successful strategies in other parts of the world have been the result of a national commitment to tree planting, recognition of a multiplicity of constraints and the voluntary involvement of the communities the strategies are intended to assist. DA - 1989 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1989 T1 - The feasibility of using remote sensing and field-based checks to monitor the impact caused by collection of wood in the Eastern Cape/Ciskei forest and thicket formations TI - The feasibility of using remote sensing and field-based checks to monitor the impact caused by collection of wood in the Eastern Cape/Ciskei forest and thicket formations UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21929 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/21929
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationLane K. The feasibility of using remote sensing and field-based checks to monitor the impact caused by collection of wood in the Eastern Cape/Ciskei forest and thicket formations. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 1989 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21929en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Biological Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherForest ecology - South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.otherEcological surveys - Remote sensingen_ZA
dc.subject.otherBotanyen_ZA
dc.titleThe feasibility of using remote sensing and field-based checks to monitor the impact caused by collection of wood in the Eastern Cape/Ciskei forest and thicket formationsen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMScen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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