Deforestation in Mwanza District, Malawi, from 1981 to 1992 as determined from Landsat MSS imagery

Andrew T. Hudak; Carol A. Wessman

Treesearch

Deforestation in Mwanza District, Malawi, from 1981 to 1992 as determined from Landsat MSS imagery

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Andrew T. Hudak, Carol A. Wessman

Year:

2000

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

Applied Geography. 20(2): 155-175.

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Abstract

Malawi is critically short of fuelwood, the primary energy source for its poverty-stricken populace. Deforestation from 1981 to 1992 in Mwanza District in southern Malawi was assessed using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values calculated from multitemporal Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS) images. A control site, where vegetation change was assumed to be minimal, was used to account for the large effect of phenology on NDVI variability between images, and to reveal more subtle differences indicative of changes in percentage woody canopy cover. The average annual deforestation rate was estimated to be 1.8% in Mwanza District between 1981 and 1992.

Keywords

AVHRR, deforestation, Landsat MSS, Malawi, Mozambique, NDVI

Citation

Hudak, Andrew T.; Wessman, Carol A. 2000. Deforestation in Mwanza District, Malawi, from 1981 to 1992 as determined from Landsat MSS imagery. Applied Geography. 20(2): 155-175.