Yale has received a grant from NASA to fund a study of the degradation of forests in the once-lush savannas and rainforests of west and central Africa, as well as the other environmental consequences of recent changes in land use.

Satellite images aid study of environmental threats in Africa

Yale researchers are using state-of-the-art satellite imagery to study the environmental conditions of west and central African savannas and rainforests. One goal is to estimate the impact of land-use changes on food production, climate change and habitat diversity. "The extraordinary threats to the environment occurring in this region make our study both timely and important to policymakers," says Mark Ashton, associate professor of silviculture and director of the Tropical Resources Institute at the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, who is the principal investigator of the study. "Population pressures along with resource extraction and civil strife are degrading the environment and affecting the ability of people to live on the land." The Yale research, funded with a $571,000 grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, will focus on ecological regions found in the area: the primary forest, degraded forest, derived forest, forest margin, derived savanna, Southern Guinea savanna and Northern Guinea savanna. The countries covered in the study are Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Republic of Benin. Ashton says researchers will use the latest remote sensing technology, as well as images taken from previous years, to characterize and quantify the land-use changes occurring in the region, including the extent of forest change from logging and slash and burn agriculture. The researchers will use a series of three transects, which are a system of measurement, from the rain forest in the south nearing the equator to the northern arid areas nearing the Saharan desert. Researchers will visit sites along the transects to validate the sensor data. Prasad Thenkabail, a co-principal investigator and associate research scientist in the Department of Geology's Center for Earth Observation, says, "We want to see whether we can detect from satellite images more refined levels of compositional changes in forests and more discreet vegetation types that have not been refined or defined before. This, in turn, will allow us to pursue our overall goal of assessing the strengths and limitations of various sensor data in establishing quantitative and qualitative measures of environmental change." The information will also be used to build carbon sequestration models, which can predict how much carbon is being lost from forest clearance and is helpful in understanding the impact on global climate change. Researchers at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, based in Nigeria, are major collaborators on the study. T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S Conservationist's gift establishes environmental studies professorship More attention to the environment is needed, EPA administrator says Graduate students honor their mentors with a new award Twelve individuals honored for improving town-gown connections Mammograms lower rate of breast cancer recurrence, study finds Talk marks opening of center for children exposed to violence Scholar decries abuse of women to create pornography Baseball commissioner talks about players' responsibility Event examines life, work of controversial Yiddish writer Student drama centers on play once charged with being obscene Exhibit to explore how artists depicted Africa in 20th century Satellite images aid study of environmental threats in Africa Celebration of Russian literature on view at Beinecke Architecture project benefits 'fragile' city neighborhood Yale student groups honored for service to community Yale Physicians Building to be city's newest art exhibit space Graduate student scientists sharing their research at two-day symposium Agrarian Studies marks 10th year with conference In thanks,Yale physician receives Yankees baseball English Department alumni will consider 'Prospects for the New Century' Memorial service to celebrate life of John Blassingame Divinity School Search Committee Correction Campus Notes Yale Scoreboard In the News Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus| Calendar of Events|Bulletin Board Classified Ads|Search Archives|Production Schedule|Bulletin Staff Public Affairs Home|News Releases| E-Mail Us|Yale Home Page