Spatial distribution of the invasive plant Vernonanthura polyanthes across land cover types of Chikukwa community in Chimanimani district, Zimbabwe

• Autorzy: Bishi Takwana Muindisi , Tarakini Tawanda

Identyfikatory

DOI

10.57599/gisoj.2025.5.1.5

• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Understanding species spatial distribution and invasiveness is vital in assessing its potential impacts to the ecosystem and livelihoods of communities affected. Due to climate change, invasion by alien woody species particularly, in mountain ranges bordering Zimbabwe and Mozambique, is increasing with potential impacts indicating significant loss of biodiversity on affected areas. The distribution of the invasive plant Vernonanthura polyanthes is poorly documented in eastern highlands of Zimbabwe, an area important for food production and endemic plants and animals. This study mapped the spatial distribution of V. polyanthes and predicted its invasion hotspots across various land cover types of Chikukwa, Ward 10, Chimanimani district of Zimbabwe. Chikukwa being in proximity to the Zimbabwe-Mozambique boarder, V. polyanthes is rapidly spreading into different land covers of Chikukwa thereby affecting livelihood of this community. Supervised land cover classification was used to develop the land cover types. Vegetation attributes (species abundance, diversity, evenness, height and diameter at breast height) were assessed on 30 sampling plots which were randomly selected across the land cover categories. The Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used for vegetation assessments and predict invasion hotspots for V. polyanthes. This study shows that forest and shrub land had higher vegetation diversity compared to other land covers. The V. polyanthes formed the most densely populated patches, and 26.3% of Chikukwa is regarded as its hotspot areas. Intervention strategies in Chikukwa are therefore recommended based on the identified hotspots for V. polyanthes.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

Vernonanthura polyanthes; land cover types; spatial distribution

PL

Vernonanthura polyanthes; rodzaje pokrycia terenu; rozmieszczenie przestrzenne

• Wydawca: SILGIS Association ; Croatian-Polish Scientific Network
• Czasopismo: GIS Odyssey Journal
• Rocznik: 2025
• Tom: Vol. 5, no. 1
• Strony: 5--18
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 25 poz.

Twórcy

autor

Bishi Takwana Muindisi

• Fambidzanai Permaculture Centre, School of Agroecology Department, Mt Hampden, Harare, Zimbabwe

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1715-4984

autor

Tarakini Tawanda

• Chinhoyi University of Technology, Department of Wildlife and conservation Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7924-3205

Bibliografia

• 1. Ahmed N. (2016). Application of NDVI in Vegetation Monitoring Using GIS and Remote Sensing in Northern Ethiopian Highlands. Abyssinia Journal of Science and Technology, 1(1), 12-17.
• 2. Clark R.V., Timberlake J.R., Hyde M., Mapaura A., Chapano C., Coates Palgrave M., Würsten B., Ballings P., Müller T., Plowes D., Childes S.L., Barker N.P., Linder H.P. (2014). A first account of floristic diversity and endemism on the Nyanga Massif, Manica Highlands (Zimbabwe/Mozambique). August, 91 BT-XXth AETFAT Congress South Africa, 13-17. https://doi.org/10.5167/UZH-131473
• 3. Cuthbert R.N., Pattison Z., Taylor N.G., Verbrugge L., Diagne C., Ahmed D.A., Leroy B., Angulo E., Briski E., Capinha C., Catford J.A., Dalu T., Essl F., Gozlan R.E., Haubrock P.J., Kourantidou M., Kramer A.M., Renault D., Wasserman R.J., Courchamp F. (2021). Global economic costs of aquatic invasive alien species. Science of the Total Environment, 775. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145238
• 4. Dube O., Ndlovu J.G., Ncube N.A. (2017). A Spatial Analysis of Effectiveness of Eradication of Invasive Species in Improving Grazing for Marginal Livestock Economies in Dryland of Matabeleland South Region, Zimbabwe: A Focus on Lantana camara and Opuntia fulgida, 429-450.
• 5. Environmental Management Agency, EMA (2018) https://www.newzimbabwe.com/foreign-plant-wreaks-havoc-in-eastern-highlands-declared-invasive-alien-species/ [access: 24.06.2023].
• 6. Eschen R., Beale T., Bonnin J.M., Constantine K.L., Duah S., Finch E.A., Makale F., Nunda W., Ogunmodede A., Pratt C.F., Thompson E., Williams F., Witt A., Taylor B. (2021). Towards estimating the economic cost of invasive alien species to African crop and livestock production. CABI Agriculture and Bioscience, 2(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43170-021-00038-7
• 7. Fleming P.J.S., Ballard G., Reid N.C.H., Tracey J.P. (2018). Invasive species and their impacts on agri-ecosystems : Issues and solutions for restoring ecosystem processes. The Rangeland Journal, January 2018, 1-14.
• 8. Gandiwa E., Kativu S. (2009). Influence of fire frequency on Colophospermum mopane and Combretum apiculatum woodland structure and composition in northern Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe. Koedoe, 51(1), 1-13.
• 9. Gómez C., White J.C., Wulder M.A. (2016). Optical remotely sensed time series data for land cover classification: A review. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 116, 55-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2016.03.008
• 10. Hashim H., Abd Latif Z., Adnan N.A. (2019). Urban Vegetation Classification with NDVI Threshold Value Method with Very High Resolution (VHR) Pleiades Imagery. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences - ISPRS Archives, 42(4/W16), 237-240. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLII-4-W16-237-2019
• 11. Hejda M., Pysek P., Jarosík V. (2009). Impact of invasive plants on the species richness, diversity and composition of invaded communities. Journal of Ecology, 97(3), 393-403. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2009.01480.x
• 12. Hoffmann B.D., Broadhurst L.M. (2016). The economic cost of managing invasive species in Australia. NeoBiota, 31, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.31.6960
• 13. Kaul H.A, Sopan I. (2012). Land Use Land Cover Classification and Change Detection Using High Resolution Temporal Satellite Data. Journal of Environment, 01(04), 146-152.
• 14. Marbuah G., Gren I.M., McKie B. (2014). Economics of Harmful Invasive Species: A Review. Diversity, 6(3), 500-523. https://doi.org/10.3390/d6030500
• 15. Maroyi A. (2012). The casual, naturalised and invasive alien flora of Zimbabwe based on herbarium and literature records. Koedoe, 54(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v54i1.1054
• 16. Mebrat W., Molla E., Gashaw T. (2014). A Comparative Study of Woody Plant Species Diversity at Adey Amba Enclosed Forest and Nearby Open Site in West Belessa District, Northwestern Ethiopia. Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare, 4(15), 74-81.
• 17. Ngarakana E., Kativu S. (2018). Soil based assessment of the invasive species Vernonanthura phosphorica (Vell.) H. Rob. (Asteraceae) in Burma Valley, Zimbabwe. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa, 73(1), 16-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/0035919X.2017.1369470
• 18. Nyelele C., Murwira A., Shekede M.D., Mugabe P.H. (2014). Woodland fragmentation explains tree species diversity in an agricultural landscape of Southern Africa. Tropical Ecology, 55(3), 365-374.
• 19. Onalenna Gwate, Kim Canavan, Grant Martin, David M. Richardson, Vincent Ralph Clark (2023): Assessing habitat suitability for selected woody range-expanding plantspecies in African mountains under climate change. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa.
• 20. Pratt C.F., Constantine K.L., Murphy S.T. (2017). Economic impacts of invasive alien species on African smallholder livelihoods. Global Food Security, 14(January), 31-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2017.01.011
• 21. Phipps J.B., Goodier R. (1962). A Preliminary Account of the Plant Ecology of the Chimanimani Mountains. Journal of Ecology, 50(2), 291-319. Published by: British Ecological Society.
• 22. Shackleton R.T., Bertzky B., Wood L.E., Bunbury N., Jãger H., van Merm R., Sevilla C., Smith K., Wilson J.R.U., Witt A.B.R., Richardson D.M. (2020). Biological invasions in World Heritage Sites: current status and a proposed monitoring and reporting framework. Biodiversity and Conservation, 29(11-12), 3327-3347. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-020-02026-1
• 23. Sukhorukov A.P., Verloove F., Alonso M.Á., Belyaeva I.V., Chapan C., Crespo, M. B., El Aouni M.H., El Mokni R., Maroyi A., Shekede M.D., Vicente A., Dreyer A., Kushunina M. (2017). Chorological and taxonomic notes on African plants, 2. Botany Letters, 164(2), 135-153.
• 24. Timberlake J. (2017). Biodiversity Knowledge From the Chimanimani Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (TFCA). July edition, 87.
• 25. Timberlake J., Gardens R.B., Mapaura A., Matimele H., Banze A. (2016). Revised biodiversity guide. November 2016 edition.

Uwagi

Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MNiSW, umowa nr POPUL/SP/0154/2024/02 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki II" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki (2025).