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This study explored the land use and land cover (LULC) changes (1995–2023) in the gold mining hotspots of Mang’onyi, Sambaru, and Londoni in the Singida region of Tanzania. The study integrated remote sensing (RS) to evaluate the LULC transitions with social survey assessments (83 respondents) to determine the resident’s perceptions of the environm...
Citations
... In response, the disruptive effects can result in the loss of vegetation cover, the extinction of plant species, changes in biodiversity, an increase in desertification, and land barrenness (Gallego-Zamorano et al., 2022;Hansen et al., 2004). Additionally, alterations in climatic conditions influence human activities and can trigger shifts in environmental utilisation for economic gains (Lameck et al., 2025a). The environmental consequences include a reduction in the value of ecological environments due to the degradation of soils, climate change effects, and loss of habitats. ...
... The environmental consequences include a reduction in the value of ecological environments due to the degradation of soils, climate change effects, and loss of habitats. Furthermore, LULC changes affect rural livelihoods that depend on the natural environment for socioeconomic well-being (Baffour-Ata et al., 2021;Demissie et al., 2017;Kindu et al., 2015;Kullo et al., 2021;Lameck et al., 2025a). ...
Assessing land use and land cover (LULC) changes in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) is essential for promoting
environmental conservation, improving ecosystem functionality, and formulating sustainable land use plans.
This study examined LULC changes in Baringo County, Kenya, over a 24-year period (2000–2024). Landsat
imagery from 2000, 2014, and 2024 were processed and analyzed using the random forest (RF) algorithm on the
Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. Data processing and analysis were done using ArcGIS Pro (version 3.4.0),
and R software (version 4.3.2). The analysis revealed significant LULC changes, including expansions in cropland
(+1196.24 km²), shrubland (+418.44 km²), built-up areas (+96.21 km²), and water features (+81.62 km²),
alongside reductions in forestland (-1057.08 km²), grassland (-406.54 km²), and bareland (-328.90 km²). The
observed LULC dynamics were driven by deforestation, agricultural expansion, alien species invasion, population
growth, and weak policy enforcement. These LULC changes have had profound environmental, social, and
economic impacts. Forest loss has diminished ecosystem services, accelerated soil erosion, and undermined
climate change mitigation efforts. The proliferation of Prosopis juliflora has provided some benefits, such as soil
stabilization and fuelwood, but has adversely affected biodiversity, livelihoods, and traditional agro-pastoral
systems. While cropland expansion has enhanced food security, it has also exacerbated soil erosion, sedimentation, and hydrological alterations in local lakes. Furthermore, the increase in water features has led to flooding,
displacing communities, damaging infrastructure, and disrupting tourism and local economies. The findings of
this study highlight the urgent need for sustainable land management strategies to mitigate the negative impacts
of LULC changes on ecosystems and livelihoods while maximizing the positive outcomes of these dynamics in
Baringo County.
Riverine forests in Sudan are unique ecosystems that provide habitats for diverse flora and fauna. Despite this distinctive function, there is lack of information about their composition and its spatio-temporal dynamics. This study aimed to investigate the dynamics of land use land cover (LULC) and tree vegetation structure in Acacia nilotica trees, in Remaila Riverine Forest Reserve, over the past 20 years. The study used Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Land Surface Temperature (LST) analysis, and forest inventory data to assess the status and spatio-temporal changes of A. nilotica trees. Findings reveal significant fluctuations in NDVI values, indicating a decline in forest health, particularly marked in 2023. The LULC analysis highlights a drastic reduction of about 50% in dense forest areas between 2003 and 2023, with a corresponding increase in open forest and bare lands. The tree density, basal area, and volume in dense forest sites were three times and double that of open and moderate forests with significant differences across the sites (F2, 99 = 172.4 and p = 0.001; F2, 99 = 193.6 and p < 0.001; F2, 99 = 187.3 and p < 0.001, respectively). These low values of dendrometric parameters in the open and moderate forest sites are attributed to anthropogenic pressures like overharvesting and grazing that were intensively practiced in the study area. This research underscores the urgent need for restoration efforts to rehabilitate the degraded areas and enhance the reserve resilience, with consideration to stakeholder interests and sustainable management.
