Premium
Usage of MODIS NDVI to evaluate the effect of soil and water conservation measures on vegetation in Burkina Faso
Author(s) -
Nyamekye Clement,
SchönbrodtStitt Sarah,
Amekudzi Leonard K.,
Zoungrana Benewinde J.B.,
Thiel Michael
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
land degradation and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1099-145X
pISSN - 1085-3278
DOI - 10.1002/ldr.3654
Subject(s) - normalized difference vegetation index , vegetation (pathology) , desertification , environmental science , context (archaeology) , soil conservation , land degradation , greening , productivity , soil water , geography , agroforestry , physical geography , land use , climate change , ecology , soil science , agriculture , medicine , archaeology , pathology , macroeconomics , economics , biology
The dramatic droughts in West Africa from the 1960s to the 1990s compelled Burkina Faso to implement soil and water conservation (SWC) measures in the late 1970s. The purpose was to combat land degradation (e.g., desertification) in areas that experienced a decrease in vegetation productivity. In this study, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) trends from 2002 to 2016 were analyzed using the Mann‐Kendall test to explore the spatio‐temporal variations of vegetation at SWC and non‐SWC sites in selected regions of Burkina Faso. On average, NDVI increased by 3.6% annually from 2002 to 2016. Approximately 81% of the SWC sites experienced increasing (greening) trends, whereas 78% of the non‐SWC sites showed negative (browning) trends. Typically, SWC measures in Burkina Faso, such as zai (traditional planting pits use to foster the retention of soil moisture and increase soil nutrients) and half‐moons, are considered to have significant impacts on vegetation changes as visible from the NDVI. The results demonstrate that the implementation of SWC measures distinctly influences the vegetation growth in Burkina Faso. Thus, these findings could support regional and local informed decision‐making in the context of sustainable land use planning and evaluation of ecosystem services.