Monitoring Vegetation Cover Degradation through Remote Sensing A Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) Analysis for the Ouled Djellel Region, Algeria
Main Article Content
Abstract
The principal objective of this research is to evaluate the spatial extent and severity of degradation in the natural rangelands of the Ouled Djellal region. Geographically situated on the slopes and southern escarpments of the Saharan Atlas in southern Algeria, these rangelands constitute vital pastoral landscapes supporting substantial livestock populations. The vegetation is characterized by shrub communities adapted to arid and semi-arid climatic regimes, forming the ecological foundation of these systems.
Since the onset of the 21st century, a pronounced decline in shrub cover has been observed across the region. This loss is critically significant from a geographical and ecological perspective, as the vegetation serves not only as a primary forage resource but also as a key stabilizing element for maintaining landscape ecological equilibrium. The resultant degradation has induced substantial socio-ecological challenges, disrupting the established pastoral economy.
The spatially variable density of the shrub cover is quantitatively assessed using the Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI). This remote sensing index is selected for its documented precision in detecting sparse and low-density vegetation in arid environments, offering a methodological advantage over the more commonly used Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The SAVI minimizes soil brightness interference, providing enhanced spatial resolution and sensitivity for accurately mapping vegetation density gradients and structural characteristics across these heterogeneous and environmentally constrained landscapes.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
Ademiluka, S. O. (2009). An Ecological Interpretation of Leviticus 11–15 in an African (Nigerian) Context. Old Testament Essays, 22(3), 525–534.
Adu-Gyamfi, Y. (2011). Indigenous Beliefs and Practices in Ecosystem Conservation. Scriptura, 107, 145–155.
Aidoud, A., Le Floc’h, É., & Le Houérou, H. N. (2006). Les steppes arides du nord de l’Afrique* [The Arid Steppes of North Africa]. Sécheresse, 17(1–2), 19–30.
Barrett, C. B., & Mude, A. G. (2012). Pastoralism in arid and semi-arid lands: Economic challenges and opportunities. Annual Review of Resource Economics, 4, 215-234
Bell, D. K. (2014). Understanding a “Broken World”: Islam, Ritual, and Climate Change in Mali, West Africa. Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, 8(3), 287–306.
Benali, A., & Faraoun, F. (2020). Vegetation dynamics in a semi-arid environment of northwestern Algeria using remote sensing indices including SAVI. FAO Report.
Benaradj, A. (2017). Étude phyto-écologique des groupements à Pistacia atlantica dans le Sud Oranais [Phytoecological Study of Pistacia atlantica Groups in South Oran]. Doctoral thesis, Université de Tlemcen.
Benaradj, A., et al. (2021). Phytoecology of the Steppe Formation with Stipagrostis pungens in Naâma (Western Algeria). Flora Mediterranea, 31, 159–171.
Bencherif, K. (2010). Physiognomic Units Map of Senalba Chergui Forest (Djelfa - Saharan Atlas, Algeria). Sécheresse, 21(3), 179–186.
BIRGEN, M. K. (2021). *Towards a Christian Ecological Theology from an African Christian Perspective. ShahidiHub International Journal of Theology and Religious Studies, 1(1), 1–15.
Boughani, A., & Hirche, A. J. (2020). Life forms and species responses under arid Mediterranean climate: Case of Algerian steppes. Ponte Academic Journal, 76(1)
Boukhelkhal, F., & collaborators. (2023). Multi-temporal Landsat imagery and MSAVI index for monitoring rangeland degradation in arid ecosystem, case study of Biskra (southeast Algeria). Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 195, 123
Buttimer, A. (2012). Alexander von Humboldt and Planet Earth’s Green Mantle. Cybergeo: European Journal of Geography.
Campbell, B., Luckert, M., & Mutamba, M. (2003). Household livelihoods in semi-arid regions. Is there a way out of poverty? Currents: New Scholarship in the Human Services, 31/32, 4-10.
Chabour. N, Hydrogeologie des domaines de transition entre l'Atlas saharien et la platforme saharienne a l'Est de l'Algerie.p .2006.
Chellig, R. (1992). Les ovins en Algérie: potentialités et réalisations. Alger: Office des Publications Universitaires (OPU).
Demers, M. N). Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.2009.
Dregne. H.E, Soils of Arid Regions, Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company,Amsterdam.1976.
Dubreuil, P. 1966. Les caractères physiques et morphologiques des bassins versants: leur détermination avec une précision acceptable. Cahiers Orstom, Sér. hydrol., III: 13-30. Paris. duchaufour, Ph., 1984- Pédologie. Ed. Masson. Paris.
Derdour, A., Jodar-Abellan, A., Melian-Navarro, A., & Bailey, R. (2023). Assessment of land degradation and droughts in an arid area using drought indices, Modified Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (MSAVI), and Landsat remote sensing data. Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica, 49(2), 65-81.
Djebaili, S. (1978). Recherches phytosociologiques et phytoécologiques sur la végétation des Hautes plaines steppiques et de l’Atlas saharien [Phytosociological and phytoecological research on the vegetation of the steppe high plains and the Saharan Atlas]. Doctoral thesis, Université Montpellier II.
El Zerey, W., et al. (2009). *The Steppe Ecosystem Facing Desertification: Case of the El Bayadh Region, Algeria. VertigO, 9(2).
FAO. (2018). Improving pasture management in arid and semi-arid lands in the Horn of Africa. 40641.
Golla, B. (2021). Agricultural production system in arid and semi-arid regions: Constraints and management options. International Journal of Agriculture, Science and Food Technology, 7(3), 213-225.
Kinahan, J. (2019). Origins and Spread of Pastoralism in Southern Africa. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of African History. Oxford University Press.
LE Houerou, H. N. (1995). Bioclimatologie et Biogéographie des steppes arides du Nord de l’Afrique [Bioclimatology and Biogeography of Arid Steppes in North Africa]. Options Méditerranéennes, Série B, 10, 1–396.
Litchfield, E. (2020). The Effect of Climate Change on Pastoralism in the Australian Arid and Semi-Arid Rangelands. Nuffield Australia Project Report No. 1910.
Little, P. D., & McPeak, J. G. (2010). Introduction: New Avenues for Pastoral Development in sub-Saharan Africa. European Journal of Development Research, 22(5), 593-604.
Macdonald, A. M., Bonsor, H. C., & Dochartraigh, B. E. O. (2012). Quantitative Maps of Groundwater and Terrestrial Water Storage in Arid Regions: A Review. Wallingford: British Geological Survey.
Mazari, W. (2018). Évaluation de l'activité antioxydante et anti-inflammatoire des extraits de Ziziphus lotus L. (Rhamnacées) de la région de M'sila. (Thèse de Doctorat, Université de M'sila, Algérie).
Meddad-Hamza, A., Hamza, N., Neffar, S., & Chenchouni, H. (2017). Spatio-temporal dynamics, structure and regeneration of Pistacia atlantica Desf. in the Tlemcen Mountains (North-Western Algeria). Journal of Arid Land, 9(2), 304-317.
Michel Ferry, concurrence et complémentarité des espèces végétales dans les oasis,In:Le système agricole oasien,V.dolé,CIHEAM_IAMM. 1990.FRANCE.
Mitchell, A. The ESRI Guide to GIS Analysis, Volume 4: Modeling Suitability, Movement, and Interaction. Redlands, CA: ESRI Press.2020.
Monjauze.A, LE pays des dayas et pistacia atlantica desf. dans LE sahara algérien`', Biologie et Forets.P279,1982.
Mcgahey, D., Davies, J., Hagelberg, N., & Ouedraogo, R. (2014). Pastoralism in Sub-Saharan Africa: Know its advantages. FAO. Retrieved from
Namwamba, j. B., loh, p., & akinrinwoye, c. (2023). The integration of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) in managing urban ecosystems. Geography, environment, sustainability, xlviii-m-3, 169–178.
Quezel, P., & Santa, S. (1962–1963). Nouvelle flore de l’Algérie et des régions désertiques méridionales* [New Flora of Algeria and Southern Desert Regions]. CNRS.
Rekis, A., Elbar, D., Belhamra, M., & Laiadi, Z. (2023). Floristic diversity of a Saharan region in the southeast of Algeria. Journal Algérien des Régions Arides, 15(1), 90–100.
Rettberg, S., Beckmann, G., Minah, M., & Schelchen, A. (2017). Ethiopia’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lowlands: Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Rural Transformation. SLE Discussion Paper 03/2017. Centre for Rural Development (SLE), Berlin.
Scoones, I. (1995). Living with Uncertainty: New Directions in Pastoral Development in Africa. Intermediate Technology Publications.
Taibaoui, B., Douaoui, A., & Bouxin, G. (2020). Floristic Diversity of the South Algiers Steppe: Case of the Djelfa Region (Algeria)*. Bulletin de la Société Royale des Sciences de Liège, 89, 203–220.
Wei, W., Sertel, E., Zhang, Z., Liu, L., & Wang, S. (Eds.). (2024–2025). Advances in Remote Sensing and GIScience for Urban Sustainability [Article collection]. Geography, Environment, Sustainability. Russian Geographical Society, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences.