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http://hdl.handle.net/1956/2116
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| Title: | Change and variation in a hyer-arid cultural landscape: a merhodological approach using remote sensing timeseries (Landsat MSS and TM, 1973-1996) from the Wadi vegetation of the eastern desert of Egypt |
| Authors: | Andersen, Gidske L. |
| Issue Date: | 1999 |
| Publisher: | The University of Bergen |
| Abstract: | Nine wadi localities in a hyper-arid environment have been registered in the field and
studied using earth observation data. Branch height, crown – and trunk – diameter, and
indicators of land-use such as present traces of browsing, lopping and charcoal production
were registered for arboreal vegetation, mostly Acacia tortilis and Balanites aegyptiaca. A
point mapping (GPS) was selected to optimise subsequent integration with raster data and
to facilitate a detailed interpretation of change images. Field data and change images are
interpreted according to two gradients, one cultural and one hydrological.
Derived tree maps are overlaid referenced TM data in order to detect differences between
pixels with and without vegetation. The Red band is the most consistent spectral band in its
content of vegetation information. Nevertheless it is apparent that several methodological
and technical factors constrain the possibilities to register vegetation in this environment of
very scarce vegetation cover. Similar problems are also recognised in the change analysis
which is based on the difference between Red bands of the years compared. Four different
datasets are part of the analysis: 1973, 1979, 1984 (all Landsat MSS images) and 1996
(TM).
Field data indicate that changes are taking place in the cultural landscape of the Eastern
Desert, and the change is primarily due to processes that both in causes and consequences
is associated with ‘deforestation’. Although several sources of errors introduce variations in
the change images, the images do reflect the field observations. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/1956/2116 |
| Appears in Collections: | Department of Biology
Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center (NERSC)
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