Remote sensing and geographic information system-based African civet habitat mapping in Andracha, Ethiopia

Dagnachew Melese; Karuturi V. Suryabhagavan; Melakneh Gelet; Mundanthra Balakrishnan

doi:10.1117/1.JRS.8.083502

19 December 2014 Remote sensing and geographic information system-based African civet habitat mapping in Andracha, Ethiopia

Dagnachew Melese, Karuturi V. Suryabhagavan, Melakneh Gelet, Mundanthra Balakrishnan

Author Affiliations +

Journal of Applied Remote Sensing, Vol. 8, Issue 1, 083502 (December 2014). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JRS.8.083502

Abstract

Remote sensing and geographic information systems have enormous applications in ecological studies, particularly in the habitat analysis of wild animals. The present study aimed to evaluate the habitats of the African civet in Andracha, Ethiopia, in order to generate geo-referenced ecological data on the habitats of this species. Habitat evaluation and habitat changes during 1986 to 2012 were analyzed using LANDSAT imageries. In the year 1986, 1017.56 km² (99.75%) of the study area was covered with forest, but in 2012 only 949.61 km² (93.09%) had forest cover. There has been a reduction of 5.97% forest cover at a rate of 0.22% per year since 1986. The study area has been classified into three suitability categories based on forest cover, water, settlement/agriculture, road and slope. Currently, 611.07 km² (59.9%) of the area has dense forest cover, which is less preferred by the African civet, 336.75 km² (33.01%) is moderately interfered with human activities and is suitable for civets, and 70.56 km² (6.91%) is degraded forest around human habitats, which is highly preferred by civets. Habitat suitability analysis is useful to predict potential habitats of African civets in Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa.

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Dagnachew Melese, Karuturi V. Suryabhagavan, Melakneh Gelet, and Mundanthra Balakrishnan "Remote sensing and geographic information system-based African civet habitat mapping in Andracha, Ethiopia," Journal of Applied Remote Sensing 8(1), 083502 (19 December 2014). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JRS.8.083502

Published: 19 December 2014

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