Mapping Land-Use/Land-Cover Change in a Critical Biodiversity Area of South Africa

Khangwelo Desmond Musetsho, Munyaradzi Chitakira and Willem Nel
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Khangwelo Desmond Musetsho: Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Science Campus, Johannesburg 1710, South Africa
Munyaradzi Chitakira: Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Science Campus, Johannesburg 1710, South Africa
Willem Nel: Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Science Campus, Johannesburg 1710, South Africa

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: Land-use/land-cover (LULC) changes have implications for the long-term outlook of environmental processes, especially in the face of factors such as climate change. These changes can have serious consequences for humans. In this study, remote sensing and geographic information system methods were used to investigate LULC changes in a critical biodiversity area (CBA) in the northern sections of Limpopo Province in South Africa from 1990 to 2018 using data obtained from the South African National Land Cover project. In 1990, the dominant land cover comprised thickets and dense bush, followed by woodland and built-up areas, covering proportions of 40, 24 and 18% of the total land-cover area, respectively. Bare and forest areas were the least dominant classes during this time. In 2018, the dominant land cover was woodland, followed by built-up areas, comprising 71 and 20% of the total area, respectively. Subsistence agriculture is a land-cover class with a relatively higher area compared to water bodies, wetlands and other classes. Between 1990 and 2018, significant changes in land-cover were noted for thickets and dense bush, woodland, water bodies, subsistence agriculture and built-up areas. Woodland increased by over 1000 hectares (ha) per year, while thickets decreased by over 900 ha per year. Interviews were conducted with local residents to determine what they thought were the drivers behind the observed changes. According to these interviews, the drivers included deforestation, agricultural activities in wetlands, sand and gravel mining, among others. The study’s outcomes are critical for future land-use planning exercises and the long-term conservation of this CBA, an area rich in biodiversity and a strategic water source for the communities.

Keywords: land-use/land-cover change; land-use planning; critical biodiversity area; traditional authority (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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