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Remotely sensed habitat indicators for predicting distribution of impala (Aepyceros melampus) in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 December 2005

Frans P. J. van Bommel ,
Ignas M.A. Heitkönig ,
Gerrit F. Epema ,
Sue Ringrose ,
Casper Bonyongo  and
Elmar M. Veenendaal
Frans P. J. van Bommel
Affiliation:
Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Bornsesteeg 69, 6708 PD Wageningen, The Netherlands
Ignas M.A. Heitkönig
Affiliation:
Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Bornsesteeg 69, 6708 PD Wageningen, The Netherlands
Gerrit F. Epema
Affiliation:
Centre for Geo-Information, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
Sue Ringrose
Affiliation:
Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre, University of Botswana, Private bag 285, Maun, Botswana
Casper Bonyongo
Affiliation:
Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre, University of Botswana, Private bag 285, Maun, Botswana
Elmar M. Veenendaal
Affiliation:
Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre, University of Botswana, Private bag 285, Maun, Botswana
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Abstract

We studied the spatial and temporal habitat use of impala in Botswana's Okavango Delta at landscape level with the aid of satellite imagery, with minimal fieldwork. We related remotely sensed vegetation to impala habitat preferences, by first distinguishing three vegetation types through a multi-temporal classification, and dividing these into subclasses on the basis of their Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). This indicator for abundance and greenness of biomass was assessed for wet and dry season separately. Similarly, habitat use was assessed for both seasons by allocating vegetation classes to bimonthly impala observations. Impala distribution patterns coincided with NDVI-based subclasses of the landscape, nested within broad vegetation types, to which impala did not show a marked seasonal response. We suggest that this methodology, using limited field data, offers a functional habitat classification for sedentary herbivores, which appears particularly valuable for application in extensive areas with high spatial variability, but with restricted access.

Keywords

herbivore distributionremote sensingresource usesavannaungulates
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 22 , Issue 1 , January 2006 , pp. 101 - 110
Copyright
2006 Cambridge University Press

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