Testing the water: detecting artificial water points using freely available satellite data and open source software

摘要: Deserts are among the most poorly understood biomes in world, currently experiencing highest rates of environmental change and biodiversity loss. A major controlling factor on ecology distribution vegetation animal populations these harsh arid systems is abundance water sources. Accordingly, extraction redistribution at artificial points across desert landscapes can constitute a real threat to local ecosystem dynamics. challenge tackling this potential identifying changes through space time, due difficulties collecting such information relevant spatial temporal scales. We here investigate for freely available satellite imagery provide reliable about using Ouadi Rime-Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve (OROAFR), Chad, as case study. reveal that Landsat 8 data combined with texture analysis accurately detect landmarks heterogeneous environment OROAFR; 75.68% within site were successfully identified false positive detection rate was minimal 7.69%. The methodological framework developed work, based treatment open source software, adds other works attempting help monitor threats ecosystems, enabling up-to-date level anthropogenic activities habitats be easily regularly collected.