Abstract
Changes in wildlife conservation areas have serious implications for ecological systems and the distribution of wildlife species. Using the Masai Mara ecosystem as an example, we analyzed long-term land use/cover changes and wildlife population dynamics. Multitemporal satellite images, together with physical and social economic data were employed in a post classification analysis with GIS to analyze outcomes of different land use practices and policies. The results show rapid land use/cover conversions and a drastic decline for a wide range of wildlife species. Integration of land use/cover monitoring data and wildlife resources data can allow for the analysis of changes, and can be used to project trends to provide knowledge about potential land use/cover change scenarios and ecological impacts.
Highlights
Land use/cover change is a major driving force of habitat modification and has important implications for the distribution of wildlife species and ecological systems [1,2,3]
In order to assess the thematic accuracy of the land use/cover maps, a stratified random sampling design was used to select a total of 300 pixels for each land use/cover map (1975, 1986, and 2007)
The accuracy of the 1975 land use/cover map was assessed with reference to topographical map produced with aerial photography taken in 1978, while for the 1986 land use/cover map, vegetation maps at a scale of 1:50,000 derived from interpretation of rectified 1992 Landsat 5 TM images were used
Summary
Land use/cover change is a major driving force of habitat modification and has important implications for the distribution of wildlife species and ecological systems [1,2,3]. Masai Mara from Tanzania occupy the national reserve and the adjoining group ranches, while resident wildlife species migrate between the reserve and the adjoining dispersal areas within the ecosystem [17]. Mara [14,18,19], very little has been done to analyze land use/cover changes and the impact these changes have on the Masai Mara Ecosystem These studies have concentrated on wildlife declines without considering the driving forces and do not provide sufficient insights into the spatial temporal dynamics of these changes. A comprehensive analysis of land use/cover changes and wildlife population dynamics that considers the primary driving forces behind these changes is needed in order to help in formulating a sustainable development policy for the ecosystem.
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