Abstract
1. Despite the ecological, environmental, and economic importance of mangroves, they are declining at an alarming rate worldwide, mostly as a result of human activities. 2. Along the eastern African coast, Mozambique has the largest mangrove area. Fishing and farming are the main economic activities in the area, and people harvest mangrove vegetation for tannins, fuel wood, traditional medicine, boat-building, carpentry, and crafting. 3. Landsat 5 TM imagery was used to map the distribution of trans-boundary mangrove areas along the Mtwara-Quirimbas Complex. Results for 1995 and 2005 are presented for the entire coastline and in more detail for the Ruvuma estuary, Quiterajo, Ibo/Quirimba islands, and Pemba Bay. Results were validated with a ground-truthing excursion in 2006, showing an overall thematic accuracy of 73%. 4. Total estimated area of mangrove was 357 km 2 in 1995 and 368 km 2 in 2005, with the small net gain of 3% corresponding to a total gain of 32km 2 and a total loss of 21 km 2 over this decade. 5. Results suggest that although Landsat TM imagery can be effective in mapping mangrove distribution, caution must be used in inferring its ecological condition.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
