Journal of degraded and mining lands management, Apr 1, 2024
Maintaining productive farmland necessitates precise crop mapping and identification. While satel... more Maintaining productive farmland necessitates precise crop mapping and identification. While satellite remote sensing makes it possible to generate such maps, there are still issues to resolve, such as how to choose input data and the best classifier algorithm, especially in areas with scarce field data. Accurate assessments of the land used for farming are a crucial part of national food supply and production accounting in many African countries, and to this end, remote sensing tools are being increasingly put to use. The aim of this study was to assess the potentiality of Sentinel-2 to distinguish and discriminate crop species in the study area and constraints on accurately mapping cropping patterns in the winter season in River Nile and Northern State, Sudan. The research utilized Sentinel-2 Normalized Different Vegetation Index (NDVI) at 10 m resolution, unsupervised and supervised classification method with ground sample and accuracy assessment. The results of the study found that the signatures of grain sorghum, wheat, okra, Vicia faba, alfalfa, corn, haricot, onion, potato, tomato, lupine, tree cover, and garlic have clear distinctions, permitting an overall accuracy of 87.38%, with trees cover, onion, wheat, potato, garlic, alfalfa, tomato, lupine and Vicia faba achieving more than 87% accuracy. Major mislabeling problems occurred primarily in irrigated areas for grain sorghum, okra, corn, and haricot, in wooded areas comprised of small parcels of land. The research found that high-resolution temporal images combined with ground data had potential and utility for mapping cropland at the field scale in the winter.
Globally, mountains encompass spectacular landscapes and a great diversity of species. However, S... more Globally, mountains encompass spectacular landscapes and a great diversity of species. However, Savannah's mountains in Sudan have been affected by the loss of diversity due to human activities and climate changes. Therefore, this study aims to assess changes in wildlife diversity in Jebel-Eldair Nation Park (JENP) based on only reports from patrolling activities, especially in the absence of regular wildlife monitoring programs. Reports of monthly wildlife observations during patrolling trips were used for the summer season in 2010 and 2018. Findings showed a moderate to high decline in the most important wildlife species (i.e. lion, wild dog, and crest porcupine). Six others are documented as rare species in reserve, including the civet, spotted hyena, striped hyena, jackal, seraval, and Siberian bird. Contrary and despite the diversity reduction, some species witnessed increases in their observation frequency, such as lesser kudu, caracal, monitor, and lunar bird. Moreover, human settlements, agricultural activities, and other anthropogenic factors were found to be the main drivers of biodiversity reduction in JENP. The study recommends adopting this method to detect changes in wildlife communities, especially in a situation of deficiency and lack of funding to conduct regular monitoring programs.
Environmental Research, Engineering and Management, Oct 12, 2023
Since 1994, the community around the mangrove forest in Kupang District, East Nusa Tenggara Provi... more Since 1994, the community around the mangrove forest in Kupang District, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia, has rehabilitated the mangrove forest. Unfortunately, almost three decades of the success story of mangrove rehabilitation has not followed appropriate documentation on biodiversity and potential carbon stock. This research aimed to describe the species composition and estimate the carbon stock of rehabilitated mangrove forests. Forty-five sampling plots were distributed using purposive sampling based on mangrove zonation (distal, middle, proximal) and year of rehabilitation (2004, 2006, 2008). The findings revealed that there are ten mangrove species. Two species, namely Avicennia marina and Sonneratia alba, showed a high importance value index. The average aboveground carbon stock was 454.712 t/ha, distributed in seedlings, saplings, poles, and trees at 0.04%, 2.41%, 51.61%, and 45.94%, respectively. Mangrove rehabilitation in Kupang district, East Nusa Tenggara Province, has successfully increased the richness, heterogeneity, and carbon stock.
Tropical forests are biodiversity-rich habitats on the globe because they host diversified flora ... more Tropical forests are biodiversity-rich habitats on the globe because they host diversified flora and fauna species, provide a plethora of ecosystem goods and services to local communities, and sustain numerous ecological functions. The forest resources in Sudan are a vital aspect of the nation's ecological and economic framework. However, they face threats from agriculture, logging, and degradation, leading to loss of forest cover and reduced biodiversity. This chapter reviews Sudan's dryland forests, highlighting their importance, forest biodiversity, ecosystem services, environmental degradation, conservation challenges, biodiversity information gap, threats, and the urgent need for sustainable management strategies. It emphasizes the significance of protecting these forests to maintain ecological balance and promote socioeconomic development. Addressing these challenges requires urgent and effective conservation and management efforts to preserve these vital resources.
The decline of the forest cover due to deforestation and agricultural expansion in Sudan has reac... more The decline of the forest cover due to deforestation and agricultural expansion in Sudan has reached a critical situation. Taungya agroforestry systems have been used as a strategy to safeguard against this process, allowing farmers to cultivate their subsistence crops at the early stage of tree plantations. The current study research tackled Nabag Forest Reserve (NFR) as a case study to assess and explore Taungya agroforestry system as a practice used for forest rehabilitation in the study area. Satellite images of Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper, and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager/Thermal Infrared Sensor of 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2021 were used to generate forest cover maps. Both unsupervised and supervised classification, as well as ground truth points, were applied to classify the vegetation cover in NFR as dense forest (DF), light forest (LF), agricultural field (AF), and bare land (BL). The results showed that two trends of forest cover changes occurred in NFR between 1991-2001 an...
Dryland forest ecosystem in Sudan plays an important role, either ecologically or economically, f... more Dryland forest ecosystem in Sudan plays an important role, either ecologically or economically, for the community around the forest areas. However, land-use change, illegal logging and grazing have caused dryland forests in the country to degrade. The research aimed to investigate the species composition and carbon stock in a Tozi tropical dry forest (TTDF), a typical dryland forest ecosystem in Sinnar state, Sudan. A total of 306 circular sample plots (1000 m2 for each) were established using a systematic sampling grid method. The distance between plots was 400 m and between survey lines 500 m. In each plot, all living trees were identified and counted, and their diameter at the breast height (DBH) was recorded. Research findings showed that there were 2,339 individual trees representing four species (Acacia seyal, Balanites aegyptiaca, Acacia senegal and Acacia mellifera) that belong to two families. The B. aegyptiaca and A. seyal were the dominant species widely distributed in the TTDF. The average tree density was 175 trees/ha and the Shannon-Weiner index for trees diversity was 0.264. For the seedlings stage, A. mellifera showed a high value of frequency and density, followed by B. aegyptiaca and A. seyal. The structure of seedlings, saplings, and adults trees formed a reverse J-shape in which the density of seedlings was the highest and followed by saplings and adult trees. Carbon stock of A.
Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa”
One of the main implications of reducing biodiversity is the loss or decline of ecosystem functio... more One of the main implications of reducing biodiversity is the loss or decline of ecosystem function. We have previously seen in the Rashad location that agricultural practices have a lower effect on ant biodiversity. However, how they affect the environmental services, they provide is unclear. The main objective of this study was to evaluate whether the conversion of native areas into agricultural systems affects the removal of biomass carried out by ants, an important ecosystem function linked to decomposition and predation. We sampled three transects from (the Rashad district). Each sampling plot consisted of a grid of 12 pitfall traps filled with sardine baits (simulating animal organisms) and bananas (as attractive vegetable resources). In addition, grass seeds (Sorghum bicolor) were applied in both natural (Campo, Kubos, and forest) and agricultural settings (soy monoculture, pastures, and organic agriculture). The Results showed that ant’s removal was highest in sardine with an...
Evaluating land use and land cover change (LULC) is essential for the sustainable management of n... more Evaluating land use and land cover change (LULC) is essential for the sustainable management of natural resources, biodiversity conservation, monitoring of food security, and research related to climate change and ecology. A better assessment of land-use changes is highly needed for further investigation due to increasingly rapid changes in LULC in response to human population growth. The emerging climatic change also has a significant effect on LULC. The objective of this study is to assess land use and land cover in Bahar Alarab, East Darfur State, Sudan, using remote sensing data obtained from satellite images. For assessing the LULC changes, Landsat images of the years 1988, 2002, and 2020 were downloaded and analyzed using QGIS 3.22.1 and ERDAS 2014 software, where supervised classification was applied with GPS point verification, change detection, matrix, and accuracy assessment. The analysis on LULC showed considerable changes during the two study periods, where 2020 had a considerable increase in forest cover in which on that year it occupied 26.44% of the area compared
The mangrove rehabilitation programs in the northern coastline of West Java showed varying levels... more The mangrove rehabilitation programs in the northern coastline of West Java showed varying levels of success due to the lack of information on habitat suitability and species distribution. This research aimed to investigate the spatial distribution of mangrove vegetation species, salinity, and mud thickness in Pangarengan mangrove forest, Cirebon, Indonesia. Data on mangrove vegetation, salinity, and mud thickness were collected from 78 randomly distributed sample plots. Species composition was analyzed using important value index, and spatial distribution was examined using QGIS. Results revealed that Rhizophora mucronata was the most dominant and widely distributed species in all areas of Pangarengan mangrove forest with the important value index (IVI) for seedlings, saplings, poles, and trees were 178.69%, 219.71%, 242.21%, and 167.56%, respectively. Avicennia marina showed significant IVI in saplings (59.41%) and trees (105.21%). Other species had an IVI of less than 20% for each growth stage. Salinity ranged from 0-28 ppt and gradually decreased from the shoreline to settlement areas. Mud thickness ranged from 55 to 175 cm but with no regular pattern observed. In conclusion, the Pangarengan mangrove forest was dominated by R. mucronata. Our findings suggest that to enhance the likelihood of success in mangrove rehabilitation programs, R. mucronata might be a good choice, but to increase the species diversity other species might need to be planted by applying specific treatments, such as a vertical aquaponic system.
Sudan is a hot spot for deforestation, despite the increasing awareness of deforestation and its ... more Sudan is a hot spot for deforestation, despite the increasing awareness of deforestation and its consequences. Consequences are related to increased emissions of greenhouse gases, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. However, precise information on its forests' current state is very limited. Therefore, to intervene support of existing resources effectively, it is important to have a better understanding of the process to take place in the country and impact those resources. The objective of this study is assess and map Land use Land cover (LULC) change and analyze the anthropogenic factors causing it in Um Hataba forest, South Kordofan State. The study utilized two-free cloud images (TM 2000 and Sentinel-2 in 2018), field surveys, and questionnaires to analyze the decrease in forest cover. The results indicated there were a decrease in vegetation cover on wadis (clay soil) from 20.98% in 2000 to 15.85% in 2018 and vegetation on sandy soil decreased from 30.29% in 2000 to 30.13% in 2018. While mixed shrubs and grassland increased from 28.60% in 2000 to 33.20% in 2018 of the total area under study and the rainfed agricultural area increased from 20.13% in 2000 to 20.82% in 2018. The main factors of degradation and fragmentation as the expansion of mechanized are rain-fed agriculture, felling of trees and woodcutting, worse grazing activities, and construction of infrastructure. Information garnered from this study can provide a good basis for forest rehabilitation programs and can also be used for developing proper management plans that consider the needs of the communities utilizing the forest.
This study aims to estimate the tree diversity status of Rashad Forest Reserves in the Rashad loc... more This study aims to estimate the tree diversity status of Rashad Forest Reserves in the Rashad locality of the South Kordofan State of Sudan. For data collection, eight sample plots (20 × 20 m) were taken randomly, and parameters were determined: trees species diversity, composition, relative density, dominance, important value index, and species richness in the Rashad forest reserve. The results show that a total of 237 and 56 tree species, including 22 families, have been identified in the study area. Fabaceae family and species numbers have the highest number of 13 species in 8 genera, followed by Combretaceae with 8 species belonging to 3 different genera, Malvaceae with 5 species belonging to 4 different genera, Apocynaceae with 3 species belonging to 3 different genera. The Arecaceae, Burseraceae, Capparaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Meliaceae, and Rubiaceae families each had two species, and all the other 11 families had one species each.
Journal of degraded and mining lands management, Apr 1, 2024
Maintaining productive farmland necessitates precise crop mapping and identification. While satel... more Maintaining productive farmland necessitates precise crop mapping and identification. While satellite remote sensing makes it possible to generate such maps, there are still issues to resolve, such as how to choose input data and the best classifier algorithm, especially in areas with scarce field data. Accurate assessments of the land used for farming are a crucial part of national food supply and production accounting in many African countries, and to this end, remote sensing tools are being increasingly put to use. The aim of this study was to assess the potentiality of Sentinel-2 to distinguish and discriminate crop species in the study area and constraints on accurately mapping cropping patterns in the winter season in River Nile and Northern State, Sudan. The research utilized Sentinel-2 Normalized Different Vegetation Index (NDVI) at 10 m resolution, unsupervised and supervised classification method with ground sample and accuracy assessment. The results of the study found that the signatures of grain sorghum, wheat, okra, Vicia faba, alfalfa, corn, haricot, onion, potato, tomato, lupine, tree cover, and garlic have clear distinctions, permitting an overall accuracy of 87.38%, with trees cover, onion, wheat, potato, garlic, alfalfa, tomato, lupine and Vicia faba achieving more than 87% accuracy. Major mislabeling problems occurred primarily in irrigated areas for grain sorghum, okra, corn, and haricot, in wooded areas comprised of small parcels of land. The research found that high-resolution temporal images combined with ground data had potential and utility for mapping cropland at the field scale in the winter.
Globally, mountains encompass spectacular landscapes and a great diversity of species. However, S... more Globally, mountains encompass spectacular landscapes and a great diversity of species. However, Savannah's mountains in Sudan have been affected by the loss of diversity due to human activities and climate changes. Therefore, this study aims to assess changes in wildlife diversity in Jebel-Eldair Nation Park (JENP) based on only reports from patrolling activities, especially in the absence of regular wildlife monitoring programs. Reports of monthly wildlife observations during patrolling trips were used for the summer season in 2010 and 2018. Findings showed a moderate to high decline in the most important wildlife species (i.e. lion, wild dog, and crest porcupine). Six others are documented as rare species in reserve, including the civet, spotted hyena, striped hyena, jackal, seraval, and Siberian bird. Contrary and despite the diversity reduction, some species witnessed increases in their observation frequency, such as lesser kudu, caracal, monitor, and lunar bird. Moreover, human settlements, agricultural activities, and other anthropogenic factors were found to be the main drivers of biodiversity reduction in JENP. The study recommends adopting this method to detect changes in wildlife communities, especially in a situation of deficiency and lack of funding to conduct regular monitoring programs.
Environmental Research, Engineering and Management, Oct 12, 2023
Since 1994, the community around the mangrove forest in Kupang District, East Nusa Tenggara Provi... more Since 1994, the community around the mangrove forest in Kupang District, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia, has rehabilitated the mangrove forest. Unfortunately, almost three decades of the success story of mangrove rehabilitation has not followed appropriate documentation on biodiversity and potential carbon stock. This research aimed to describe the species composition and estimate the carbon stock of rehabilitated mangrove forests. Forty-five sampling plots were distributed using purposive sampling based on mangrove zonation (distal, middle, proximal) and year of rehabilitation (2004, 2006, 2008). The findings revealed that there are ten mangrove species. Two species, namely Avicennia marina and Sonneratia alba, showed a high importance value index. The average aboveground carbon stock was 454.712 t/ha, distributed in seedlings, saplings, poles, and trees at 0.04%, 2.41%, 51.61%, and 45.94%, respectively. Mangrove rehabilitation in Kupang district, East Nusa Tenggara Province, has successfully increased the richness, heterogeneity, and carbon stock.
Tropical forests are biodiversity-rich habitats on the globe because they host diversified flora ... more Tropical forests are biodiversity-rich habitats on the globe because they host diversified flora and fauna species, provide a plethora of ecosystem goods and services to local communities, and sustain numerous ecological functions. The forest resources in Sudan are a vital aspect of the nation's ecological and economic framework. However, they face threats from agriculture, logging, and degradation, leading to loss of forest cover and reduced biodiversity. This chapter reviews Sudan's dryland forests, highlighting their importance, forest biodiversity, ecosystem services, environmental degradation, conservation challenges, biodiversity information gap, threats, and the urgent need for sustainable management strategies. It emphasizes the significance of protecting these forests to maintain ecological balance and promote socioeconomic development. Addressing these challenges requires urgent and effective conservation and management efforts to preserve these vital resources.
The decline of the forest cover due to deforestation and agricultural expansion in Sudan has reac... more The decline of the forest cover due to deforestation and agricultural expansion in Sudan has reached a critical situation. Taungya agroforestry systems have been used as a strategy to safeguard against this process, allowing farmers to cultivate their subsistence crops at the early stage of tree plantations. The current study research tackled Nabag Forest Reserve (NFR) as a case study to assess and explore Taungya agroforestry system as a practice used for forest rehabilitation in the study area. Satellite images of Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper, and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager/Thermal Infrared Sensor of 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2021 were used to generate forest cover maps. Both unsupervised and supervised classification, as well as ground truth points, were applied to classify the vegetation cover in NFR as dense forest (DF), light forest (LF), agricultural field (AF), and bare land (BL). The results showed that two trends of forest cover changes occurred in NFR between 1991-2001 an...
Dryland forest ecosystem in Sudan plays an important role, either ecologically or economically, f... more Dryland forest ecosystem in Sudan plays an important role, either ecologically or economically, for the community around the forest areas. However, land-use change, illegal logging and grazing have caused dryland forests in the country to degrade. The research aimed to investigate the species composition and carbon stock in a Tozi tropical dry forest (TTDF), a typical dryland forest ecosystem in Sinnar state, Sudan. A total of 306 circular sample plots (1000 m2 for each) were established using a systematic sampling grid method. The distance between plots was 400 m and between survey lines 500 m. In each plot, all living trees were identified and counted, and their diameter at the breast height (DBH) was recorded. Research findings showed that there were 2,339 individual trees representing four species (Acacia seyal, Balanites aegyptiaca, Acacia senegal and Acacia mellifera) that belong to two families. The B. aegyptiaca and A. seyal were the dominant species widely distributed in the TTDF. The average tree density was 175 trees/ha and the Shannon-Weiner index for trees diversity was 0.264. For the seedlings stage, A. mellifera showed a high value of frequency and density, followed by B. aegyptiaca and A. seyal. The structure of seedlings, saplings, and adults trees formed a reverse J-shape in which the density of seedlings was the highest and followed by saplings and adult trees. Carbon stock of A.
Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa”
One of the main implications of reducing biodiversity is the loss or decline of ecosystem functio... more One of the main implications of reducing biodiversity is the loss or decline of ecosystem function. We have previously seen in the Rashad location that agricultural practices have a lower effect on ant biodiversity. However, how they affect the environmental services, they provide is unclear. The main objective of this study was to evaluate whether the conversion of native areas into agricultural systems affects the removal of biomass carried out by ants, an important ecosystem function linked to decomposition and predation. We sampled three transects from (the Rashad district). Each sampling plot consisted of a grid of 12 pitfall traps filled with sardine baits (simulating animal organisms) and bananas (as attractive vegetable resources). In addition, grass seeds (Sorghum bicolor) were applied in both natural (Campo, Kubos, and forest) and agricultural settings (soy monoculture, pastures, and organic agriculture). The Results showed that ant’s removal was highest in sardine with an...
Evaluating land use and land cover change (LULC) is essential for the sustainable management of n... more Evaluating land use and land cover change (LULC) is essential for the sustainable management of natural resources, biodiversity conservation, monitoring of food security, and research related to climate change and ecology. A better assessment of land-use changes is highly needed for further investigation due to increasingly rapid changes in LULC in response to human population growth. The emerging climatic change also has a significant effect on LULC. The objective of this study is to assess land use and land cover in Bahar Alarab, East Darfur State, Sudan, using remote sensing data obtained from satellite images. For assessing the LULC changes, Landsat images of the years 1988, 2002, and 2020 were downloaded and analyzed using QGIS 3.22.1 and ERDAS 2014 software, where supervised classification was applied with GPS point verification, change detection, matrix, and accuracy assessment. The analysis on LULC showed considerable changes during the two study periods, where 2020 had a considerable increase in forest cover in which on that year it occupied 26.44% of the area compared
The mangrove rehabilitation programs in the northern coastline of West Java showed varying levels... more The mangrove rehabilitation programs in the northern coastline of West Java showed varying levels of success due to the lack of information on habitat suitability and species distribution. This research aimed to investigate the spatial distribution of mangrove vegetation species, salinity, and mud thickness in Pangarengan mangrove forest, Cirebon, Indonesia. Data on mangrove vegetation, salinity, and mud thickness were collected from 78 randomly distributed sample plots. Species composition was analyzed using important value index, and spatial distribution was examined using QGIS. Results revealed that Rhizophora mucronata was the most dominant and widely distributed species in all areas of Pangarengan mangrove forest with the important value index (IVI) for seedlings, saplings, poles, and trees were 178.69%, 219.71%, 242.21%, and 167.56%, respectively. Avicennia marina showed significant IVI in saplings (59.41%) and trees (105.21%). Other species had an IVI of less than 20% for each growth stage. Salinity ranged from 0-28 ppt and gradually decreased from the shoreline to settlement areas. Mud thickness ranged from 55 to 175 cm but with no regular pattern observed. In conclusion, the Pangarengan mangrove forest was dominated by R. mucronata. Our findings suggest that to enhance the likelihood of success in mangrove rehabilitation programs, R. mucronata might be a good choice, but to increase the species diversity other species might need to be planted by applying specific treatments, such as a vertical aquaponic system.
Sudan is a hot spot for deforestation, despite the increasing awareness of deforestation and its ... more Sudan is a hot spot for deforestation, despite the increasing awareness of deforestation and its consequences. Consequences are related to increased emissions of greenhouse gases, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. However, precise information on its forests' current state is very limited. Therefore, to intervene support of existing resources effectively, it is important to have a better understanding of the process to take place in the country and impact those resources. The objective of this study is assess and map Land use Land cover (LULC) change and analyze the anthropogenic factors causing it in Um Hataba forest, South Kordofan State. The study utilized two-free cloud images (TM 2000 and Sentinel-2 in 2018), field surveys, and questionnaires to analyze the decrease in forest cover. The results indicated there were a decrease in vegetation cover on wadis (clay soil) from 20.98% in 2000 to 15.85% in 2018 and vegetation on sandy soil decreased from 30.29% in 2000 to 30.13% in 2018. While mixed shrubs and grassland increased from 28.60% in 2000 to 33.20% in 2018 of the total area under study and the rainfed agricultural area increased from 20.13% in 2000 to 20.82% in 2018. The main factors of degradation and fragmentation as the expansion of mechanized are rain-fed agriculture, felling of trees and woodcutting, worse grazing activities, and construction of infrastructure. Information garnered from this study can provide a good basis for forest rehabilitation programs and can also be used for developing proper management plans that consider the needs of the communities utilizing the forest.
This study aims to estimate the tree diversity status of Rashad Forest Reserves in the Rashad loc... more This study aims to estimate the tree diversity status of Rashad Forest Reserves in the Rashad locality of the South Kordofan State of Sudan. For data collection, eight sample plots (20 × 20 m) were taken randomly, and parameters were determined: trees species diversity, composition, relative density, dominance, important value index, and species richness in the Rashad forest reserve. The results show that a total of 237 and 56 tree species, including 22 families, have been identified in the study area. Fabaceae family and species numbers have the highest number of 13 species in 8 genera, followed by Combretaceae with 8 species belonging to 3 different genera, Malvaceae with 5 species belonging to 4 different genera, Apocynaceae with 3 species belonging to 3 different genera. The Arecaceae, Burseraceae, Capparaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Meliaceae, and Rubiaceae families each had two species, and all the other 11 families had one species each.
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Papers by Emad Yasin