Advances in Remote Sensing, 2016; 5: 269-283
Assessing land cover changes from the 1991 to 2011 for Itigi thicket is imperative for
determining changes between land cover types and understanding anthropogenic
impact during this period. Remote sensing (RS) data, Geographic Information System
(GIS) techniques and forest inventory data were used. ILWIS 3.3 Academic software
was used to analyze the satellite imageries to determine the land use, land cover
change; while data on anthropogenic activities were analysed in MS Excel software.
The results showed that between 1991/2000 and 2000/2011, the areas of thicket declined
by 6.23% while non-thicket areas increased by 3.92%. The decline in thicket
areas was attributed to increase in anthropogenic activities such as wood extraction,
clearing for agriculture, livestock grazing and fires. The study highlights the importance
of integrating remote sensing and forest inventory in understanding the thicket
resources dynamics and generating information that could be used to overcome the
Itigi thicket problems for the sustainability of this unique vegetation
Sokoine University of Agriculture