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View article: Potential drivers of fire severity in Golden Gate Highlands National Park: a case study of the November 2022 big fire event
Potential drivers of fire severity in Golden Gate Highlands National Park: a case study of the November 2022 big fire event Open
Background Wildfires in mountainous regions pose significant ecological and socio-economic threats, with their frequency and severity expected to increase due to climate change. Therefore, accurately and promptly characterizing wildfires i…
View article: Geo-temporal analysis of land use dynamics in the Dolphin Coast, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, using RapidEye and PlanetScope imagery
Geo-temporal analysis of land use dynamics in the Dolphin Coast, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, using RapidEye and PlanetScope imagery Open
Land use and land cover (LULC) in the Dolphin Coast of South Africa have undergone substantial transformation due to rapid urbanization and growing environmental pressures. Understanding these spatiotemporal dynamics is crucial for managin…
View article: Land use and land cover change dynamics and local perception in the Dolphin Coast, KwaZulu-Natal
Land use and land cover change dynamics and local perception in the Dolphin Coast, KwaZulu-Natal Open
The Earth’s land cover is continuously modified by changes in land use driven by anthropogenic and biophysical factors. Anthropogenic activities play a dominant role in altering natural landscapes and resources, often leading to adverse en…
View article: Detecting and Mapping Invasive <i>Populus alba</i> Species in Mountainous Ecosystems Using Sentinel‐2 Imagery and Random Forest Classification
Detecting and Mapping Invasive <i>Populus alba</i> Species in Mountainous Ecosystems Using Sentinel‐2 Imagery and Random Forest Classification Open
Mapping invasive alien plants (IAPs) has become essential for land and biodiversity conservation authorities, as these species can transform the areas they invade. Fortunately, advances in remote sensing using publicly available products s…
View article: Spatio-Temporal Analysis and Forecasting of Vci for Commercial Forest1
Spatio-Temporal Analysis and Forecasting of Vci for Commercial Forest1 Open
View article: Analysis of shoreline dynamics of Lake Sibaya in South Africa between 1986 and 2020 using the Landsat series and DSAS algorithm
Analysis of shoreline dynamics of Lake Sibaya in South Africa between 1986 and 2020 using the Landsat series and DSAS algorithm Open
Lake Sibaya is the largest nearshore freshwater lake in South Africa. It is ecologically and socioeconomically linked to the human development agenda in the northeastern coastal region of the country. It is part of the iSimangaliso Wetland…
View article: Sand budget failure underlies coastal erosion on the west coast of South Africa
Sand budget failure underlies coastal erosion on the west coast of South Africa Open
Current trends in coastal erosion combined with projected climate change impacts place half of the global sandy beaches at risk of extinction. Approximately 190 million people are likely to experience coastal environmental risks by 2100, a…
View article: Exploring environmental factors that influence the distribution of poplar trees
Exploring environmental factors that influence the distribution of poplar trees Open
Poplar is an invasive alien plant (IAP) that encroaches on fragile landscapes in South Africa, but the environmental factors that contribute to its spread are not well understood. To address this gap, we conducted a study using generalised…
View article: Modelling possible habitats for poplar invasion in South Africa
Modelling possible habitats for poplar invasion in South Africa Open
Poplars (Populus alba, Populus canadensis, Populus canescens, Populus deltoides, Populus fremontii, Populus nigra and Populus simonii) are found throughout the world and are invasive in South Africa, where they are spatially permitted in c…
View article: Analysis of nighttime lights over the cities of Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, South Africa
Analysis of nighttime lights over the cities of Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, South Africa Open
Remote sensing of nighttime light (NTL) offers a unique and practical means of assessing human developments through snapshots of nocturnal lighting captured from space. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Day/Night Band (…
View article: The assessment of soil organic matter in the KwaZulu-natal province of South Africa and its relationship to spectroscopy data
The assessment of soil organic matter in the KwaZulu-natal province of South Africa and its relationship to spectroscopy data Open
Soil organic matter (SOM) is made up of decomposing biotic material in various stages, as well as compounds generated by plant roots and soil organisms—it helps the soil’s biophysical functions. Laboratory spectroscopy, for example, provid…
View article: CLASSIFICATION OF URBAN LAND USE AND LAND COVER WITH K-NEAREST NEIGHBOUR CLASSIFIER IN THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – CAPE FLATS CASE STUDY
CLASSIFICATION OF URBAN LAND USE AND LAND COVER WITH K-NEAREST NEIGHBOUR CLASSIFIER IN THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – CAPE FLATS CASE STUDY Open
The rapid growth of cities, owing to rural-urban migration and high birth rate has resulted in encroachment of the land use and land cover (LULC) in the Cape Flats, situated north of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. PlanetScope image…
View article: Remote Sensing Applications in Monitoring Poplars: A Review
Remote Sensing Applications in Monitoring Poplars: A Review Open
Given the ability of remote sensing to detect distinctive plant traits, it has emerged in recent decades as a useful and attractive research tool for forest trees such as poplars. Although poplars have been extensively studied using remote…
View article: Comparison of different spectral indices to differentiate the impact of insect attack on planted forest stands
Comparison of different spectral indices to differentiate the impact of insect attack on planted forest stands Open
Eucalyptus plantations are an important contributor to the South African economy and are geographically concentrated in the productive Zululand region. However, this area is becoming increasingly vulnerable to various forest disturbances s…
View article: Spatial Assessment and Prediction of Urbanization in Maseru Using Earth Observation Data
Spatial Assessment and Prediction of Urbanization in Maseru Using Earth Observation Data Open
The availability of geospatial data infrastructure and earth observation technology can play an essential role in facilitating the monitoring of sustainable urban development. However, in most developing countries, a spatiotemporal evaluat…
View article: Characterization of Evapotranspiration in the Orange River Basin of South Africa-Lesotho with Climate and MODIS Data
Characterization of Evapotranspiration in the Orange River Basin of South Africa-Lesotho with Climate and MODIS Data Open
Evapotranspiration (ET) is crucial to the management of water supplies and the functioning of numerous terrestrial ecosystems. To understand and propose planning strategies for water-resource and crop management, it is critical to examine …
View article: Monitoring Shoreline Changes along the Southwestern Coast of South Africa from 1937 to 2020 Using Varied Remote Sensing Data and Approaches
Monitoring Shoreline Changes along the Southwestern Coast of South Africa from 1937 to 2020 Using Varied Remote Sensing Data and Approaches Open
Shoreline analysis in response to the rapid erosion of sandy beaches has evolved along with geospatial and computer technology; it remains an essential task for sustainable coastal management. This severe and rapid erosion has been reporte…
View article: Progress of nighttime light applications within the google earth engine cloud platform
Progress of nighttime light applications within the google earth engine cloud platform Open
Nighttime Light (NTL) data provides a measure of socio-economic development and is publicly available on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud-based platform. The use of GEE to analyze NTL has expanded, but the trends remain unknown. In resp…
View article: Analysis of wildfires and associated emissions during the recent strong ENSO phases in Southern Africa using multi-source remotely-derived products
Analysis of wildfires and associated emissions during the recent strong ENSO phases in Southern Africa using multi-source remotely-derived products Open
In southern Africa, drier conditions are more pronounced during the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) years, triggering wildfire activity and extreme drought conditions which, individually or together, lead to loss of crop productivity, …
View article: Fine-Scale Classification of Urban Land Use and Land Cover with PlanetScope Imagery and Machine Learning Strategies in the City of Cape Town, South Africa
Fine-Scale Classification of Urban Land Use and Land Cover with PlanetScope Imagery and Machine Learning Strategies in the City of Cape Town, South Africa Open
Urban land use and land cover (LULC) change can be efficiently monitored with high-resolution satellite products for a variety of purposes, including sustainable planning. These, together with machine learning strategies, have great potent…
View article: Systematic Review of Informal Urban Economies
Systematic Review of Informal Urban Economies Open
Amid globalization and market liberalization, urban informality has continued to grow in leaps and bounds in many parts of the world. Against this backdrop, the purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of studies conducted o…
View article: Burned Area Mapping over the Southern Cape Forestry Region, South Africa Using Sentinel Data within GEE Cloud Platform
Burned Area Mapping over the Southern Cape Forestry Region, South Africa Using Sentinel Data within GEE Cloud Platform Open
Planted forests in South Africa have been affected by an increasing number of economically damaging fires over the past four decades. They constitute a major threat to the forestry industry and account for over 80% of the country’s commerc…
View article: Multi-Year Mapping of Disturbance and Reclamation Patterns over Tronox’s Hillendale Mine, South Africa with DBEST and Google Earth Engine
Multi-Year Mapping of Disturbance and Reclamation Patterns over Tronox’s Hillendale Mine, South Africa with DBEST and Google Earth Engine Open
This study was devised to examine the pattern of disturbance and reclamation by Tronox, which instigated a closure process for its Hillendale mine site in South Africa, where they recovered zirconium- and titanium-bearing minerals from 200…
View article: Public Knowledge, Perceptions and Practices in the High-Risk Lightning Zone of South Africa
Public Knowledge, Perceptions and Practices in the High-Risk Lightning Zone of South Africa Open
Lightning activity is a hazard for human societies and the environment, and a common feature of South Africa’s climate system, although with great regional variation. The north-eastern section of the country, including the predominantly ru…
View article: Detecting Harvest Events in Plantation Forest Using Sentinel-1 and -2 Data via Google Earth Engine
Detecting Harvest Events in Plantation Forest Using Sentinel-1 and -2 Data via Google Earth Engine Open
South Africa is reported to experience timber shortages as a result of growing timber demands and pulp production, coupled with the government’s reluctance to grant new forestry permits. Rampant timber theft in the country makes these circ…
View article: Time Series Analysis of MODIS Derived NDVI for the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, South Africa: Impact of Recent Intense Drought
Time Series Analysis of MODIS Derived NDVI for the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, South Africa: Impact of Recent Intense Drought Open
View article: Monitoring Mining Disturbance and Restoration over RBM Site in South Africa Using LandTrendr Algorithm and Landsat Data
Monitoring Mining Disturbance and Restoration over RBM Site in South Africa Using LandTrendr Algorithm and Landsat Data Open
Considering the negative impact of mining on ecosystems in mining areas, the South African government legislated the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (No. 28 of 2002), to compel mining companies to restore the land affected …
View article: Unsupervised Clustering of Forest Response to Drought Stress in Zululand Region, South Africa
Unsupervised Clustering of Forest Response to Drought Stress in Zululand Region, South Africa Open
Drought limits the production of plantation forests, notably in the drought-prone Zululand region of South Africa. During the last 40 years, the country has faced a series of severe droughts, however that of 2015 stands out as the most ext…
View article: Time Series Analysis of MODIS-Derived NDVI for the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, South Africa: Impact of Recent Intense Drought
Time Series Analysis of MODIS-Derived NDVI for the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, South Africa: Impact of Recent Intense Drought Open
The variability of temperature and precipitation influenced by El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is potentially one of key factors contributing to vegetation product in southern Africa. Thus, understanding large-scale ocean–atmospheric p…
View article: Time Series Analysis of MODIS-Derived NDVI for the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa: Impact of Recent Intense Drought
Time Series Analysis of MODIS-Derived NDVI for the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa: Impact of Recent Intense Drought Open
The variability of meteorological parameters such as temperature and precipitation, and climatic conditions such as intense droughts, are known to impact vegetation health over southern Africa. Thus, understanding large-scale ocean–a…