Vegetation Declining on Elephants' Migration Routes in Namibia
Published:05 Jul.2022 Source:University of Eastern Finland
A study based on extensive remote sensing data indicates that vegetation near the migration routes of elephants in Namibia has decreased. Human habitation and fences as well as artificial obstacles of other kinds affect the movements of wild animals, helping to accelerate the decline in vegetation. Meanwhile, increases in plant life were observed in areas where intensive farming and cattle grazing were practised.
Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Namibia used diverse remote sensing data to ascertain how elephants and other large herbivorous mammals affect vegetation and its structure in the Zambezi area in Namibia in 2002-2021. The study also evaluated the effects of human activity on vegetation and the movements of wild animals. The study was published in the scientific journal Sensor.