The impacts of climate change on natural ecosystems have been widely studied.
However, few studies have investigated the phenomenon of shifting ecosystems,
which affects rural communities and ecosystem managers. This is a major concern
for communities that depend on ecosystems for their daily survival. This study
assessed the spatial extent to which the Mopane woodland has been shifting over
the years in Vhembe district municipality in Limpopo province, South Africa. This
was done by combining a Google Earth Engine (GEE)-based land-use/land-cover
analysis with focus group discussions and a perception survey in five (5) villages in
the study area. The qualitative data were analysed and interpreted using NVivo and
ATLAS.ti software. The land use and land cover maps show that the spatial coverage
of the Mopane woodland has changed between 1991 and 2021, characterised by
expansion in new areas and decline in others. The participatory maps outlined a
uniform perception of spatial changes in the Mopane woodland, where it is shrinking
from every direction. The perception surveys revealed that the Mopane woodland
ecosystem is undergoing both peripheral or edge-driven and internal degradation
processes. The latter spatial pattern was explained as the result of the widening gap
between trees. This study shows that the Mopane woodland is not simply declining,
but spatially reconfiguring.
- Spatial dynamics and community perceptions of Mopane woodland shifts in the Vhembe district, South Africa
- Andisa A Mufungizi - University of JohannesburgWalter MusakwaJames T MagidiNelson Chanza - University of Johannesburg
- 9962909307691
- Authors 2026
- University of Johannesburg; Faculty of Science; Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment; Department of Geography Environment & Energy Study; Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
- English
- Journal article