The country of Malawi is experiencing some of the highest rates of deforestation in Africa. Of particular concern are the country's Miombo woodlands--a unique type of dry woodland that is made up from a mosaic of upper and lower canopy species. Miombo woodlands are threatened by expanding agriculture and demand for fuel wood, which is the primary energy source for the majority of Malawi's population. Efforts to map areas of Miombo degradation can be assisted by remote sensing technologies and... Show moreThe country of Malawi is experiencing some of the highest rates of deforestation in Africa. Of particular concern are the country's Miombo woodlands--a unique type of dry woodland that is made up from a mosaic of upper and lower canopy species. Miombo woodlands are threatened by expanding agriculture and demand for fuel wood, which is the primary energy source for the majority of Malawi's population. Efforts to map areas of Miombo degradation can be assisted by remote sensing technologies and data sets, which can be much more cost efficient than in-situ measurements. An effort was made to map the locations of deforestation and degradation of Malawi's Miombo woodlands by comparing time-series Landsat data. NDVI and fractional cover were used to quantify the presence of vegetation throughout time, and a change algorithm is used to identify areas of vegetation loss. This information can be used to develop activity data which guides REDD+ efforts in the country of Malawi. Show less
