Abstract
Abstract. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is an invasive hydro plant that invaded the waters of Lake Victoria and has since been spreading rapidly affecting the socio-economic livelihood of the community around the Lake. The weed's rapid spread is due to various anthropogenic activities in the surrounding environment among them being the eutrophication of the lake waters.This study aims at using remote sensing applications and presenting the results of the analysis of the water hyacinth Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), water extent, and analysis of correlation with the water quality over time from Sentinel 2 satellite imagery in January 2017 to January of 2021. The analysis aims at understanding the vegetation growth coverage in the five years and sets the basis of monthly predictive modelling of the behavior of water hyacinth. Predictive modelling applies historical statistical data while trying to use trend analysis in predicting the future behavior of a phenomenon. This study also seeks to answer the research question of the role of suspended sediments and dissolved minerals in abating the spread of and growth of water hyacinth.
Highlights
Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is an invasive hydro plant that belongs to the Pontederiaceae family (Mayo and Hanai. 2016)
Water hyacinth depicts a near uniform behaviour in coverage when assessed in similar season. 2017 recorded a coverage of approximately 1285.99 hectares of the plant around the shows of Lake Victoria in Kenyan Coast; this is inclusive of the islands that are existence in Lake Victoria that reflect vegetation, as is the water hyacinth
Remote sensing applications of mapping of features on earth, may be subject to interference among other challenges, it is worth noting that the weed has presented the dynamism nature, even after being subjected to similar mapping parameters (Thamaga & Dube, 2018)
Summary
Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is an invasive hydro plant (weed) that belongs to the Pontederiaceae family (Mayo and Hanai. 2016). Bugaari et al, (1998) attributes eutrophication to extreme anthropogenic activities at the lake basin, which promotes the growth of water hyacinth. Does the weed affect the socio-economic nature of the people around the lake, and the aquatic life cycle, as is attributed to high evapotranspiration while hindering oxygen intake by fauna in the water. This adversely affects the breeding of small fish and specific species leading to their dwindling quantity The weed contributes to the reduction of seasonal fish species in the lake the Nile perch (Hecky et al, 1994). The Nile Perch fish species suffers a probable extinction together with half of Lake Victoria 500+ species of the endemic cichlid fishes (Hecky et al, 1994)
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