Detection, Quantification and Monitoring of Prosopis in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa using Remote Sensing and GIS

Invasive Prosopis species pose a significant threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. The objective of the study was to use Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques to: (i) reveal areas susceptible to future invasion, (ii) describe the current extent and densities and, (iii) reveal the spatial dynamics of Prosopis over the past 30 years in the Northern Cape. Image classification products were generated using spectral analysis of seasonal profiles, various resolution image inputs, spectral indices and ancillary data. Classification approaches varied by scene and spatial resolution as well as application of the data. Coarse resolution imagery and field data were used to create a probability map estimating the area vulnerable to Prosopis invasion using relationships between actual Prosopis occurrence, spectral response, soils and terrain unit. Multi-temporal Landsat images and a 500m x 500m point grid enabled vector analysis and statistical data to quantify the change in distribution and density as well as the spatial dynamics of Prosopis since 1974. Fragmentation and change of natural vegetation was quantified using a combined cover density class, calculating patch density per unit (ha) for each biome. The extent of Prosopis cover in the Northern Cape Province reached 1.473 million ha or 4% of the total land area during 2007. The ability of the above mentioned remote sensing and GIS techniques to map the extent and densities of Prosopis in the study area demonstrated a high degree of accuracy (72%)