Images
November 9, 2018 - Madagascar
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On November 5, 2018, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of southwestern Madagascar.
The tan color of the landscape marks the dryness at the end of the dry season – as well as the changing nature of the region, thanks in large part to creeping deforestation. A study headed by Katja Brinkman was published in “Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment” in 2014. This study looked at the loss of forest in southwest Madagascar, as well as the contributors to deforestation trends, from 1973 – 2014. The results verified the loss of 45% of the forest in this region that 40 year time span, leading to increasing savannization and forest fragmentation. The highest rate of deforestation was found in remote locations and near small settlements which were poorly connected to infrastructure and main markets. The practice of “clandestine pioneer-agriculture”, often practiced by immigrant farmers in these young settlements, was flagged as one major driver of deforestation in this region. In this image, only small patches of dark green (marking forest) can be found.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 11/5/2018
Resolutions:
1km (88.2 KB), 500m (268.3 KB), 250m (562.8 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On November 5, 2018, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of southwestern Madagascar.
The tan color of the landscape marks the dryness at the end of the dry season – as well as the changing nature of the region, thanks in large part to creeping deforestation. A study headed by Katja Brinkman was published in “Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment” in 2014. This study looked at the loss of forest in southwest Madagascar, as well as the contributors to deforestation trends, from 1973 – 2014. The results verified the loss of 45% of the forest in this region that 40 year time span, leading to increasing savannization and forest fragmentation. The highest rate of deforestation was found in remote locations and near small settlements which were poorly connected to infrastructure and main markets. The practice of “clandestine pioneer-agriculture”, often practiced by immigrant farmers in these young settlements, was flagged as one major driver of deforestation in this region. In this image, only small patches of dark green (marking forest) can be found.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 11/5/2018
Resolutions:
1km (88.2 KB), 500m (268.3 KB), 250m (562.8 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
