Kilimanjaro - Worksheet


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Camphor trees, recently logged
 
Recently logged camphor trees
 
 
These exercises will focus on land use and vegetation cover using Landsat images of 1984 and 2000.

First we will study the whole area using images from 2000 to focus on vegetation zoning. Then we will focus on the changes from 1984 to 2000.

The threats to the National Park and the Forest Reserve are studied using GIS overlay.

Detailed images of the snow-capped summit and the southwestern part of the Forest Reserve can be studied by comparing the situation in 1984 with the situation in 2000. This is done using LEOWorks.

Click to Download all Landsat images for Kilimanjaro, 7.4 Mb.

Landsat images from 1984 and 2000 for the exercises:
Kilimanjaro overview, 120m resolution:
Kilimanjaro1984_1.tif
Kilimanjaro2000_1.tif

Kilimanjaro, SW part, 30m resolution:
KiliSW1984_1.tif
KiliSW2000_1.tif

Kilimanjaro, Top part, 30m resolution:
KiliTop1984_1.tif
KiliTop2000_1.tif

GIS files to be used in the exercise.
 
 
Recently logged indigenous trees
   
Recently logged indigenous trees
 
Images from 2000
  
We will study the appearance of this great volcanic complex from space with an emphasis on vegetation and land use imposed/adopted by people over time.

First we will construct an image showing the situation in the year 2000 in natural colours.

1) Start LEOWorks.

Open Band2_00 and Band3_00 in LEOWorks 2.0 and enhance them using Interactive stretching.

Compare the images. They look different because they are from different parts of the spectrum:

  • Kilimanjaro2000_1 blue light
  • Kilimanjaro2000_2 green light
  • Kilimanjaro2000_3 red light
2) To make a colour image, choose Image/Combine from.../(Red Green Blue).

First we will construct an image showing natural colours. We must therefore select the band combination shown in the Combine RGB window. Save the image using the file name 'Kilim321'.

Inspect the image. Try to find the following features:

  • Grassland and steppes
  • Fields
  • Forest
  • Bare soil
  • Snow
  • The cones of Kilimanjaro
3) To distinguish the vegetation zones more clearly, we will make a false colour combination by including the near infrared band 4.
  • Kilimanjaro2000_4 near infrared light
Open Kilimanjaro2000_4 and enhance it using Interactive Stretching as above.

To make a colour image, select Image/Combine from.../(Red Green Blue). Now select Kilimanjaro2000_4 for the Red band and Kilimanjaro2000_3 for the Green Band and Kilimanjaro2000_2 for the Blue band. Save the image using the file name 'Kilim432'.

Describe and compare this false colour image with the natural colour images you made above.

Find areas covered with vegetation in the two images.

What colour does the vegetation have in the false colour image?

A hint: Green vegetation absorbs visible light for photosynthesis and reflects near infrared light. The reflection of the near infrared light is shown in Band 4.

 
 
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Last update: 16 April 2013


Kilimanjaro

 •  Introduction (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Global_EN/SEMJUZVX3RF_0.html)
 •  Background (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Global_EN/SEMVVZVX3RF_0.html)

Exercises


Links

 •  The World Factbook - Tanzania (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tz.html)
 •  Unesco World Heritage List (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list)
 •  Threats to Mt. Kilimanjaro forests (UNEP study) (http://www.unep.org/dewa/assessments/EcoSystems/land/mountain/Kilimanjaro/index.asp)
 •  Monitoring weather and climate from space (http://www.eumetsat.int/Home/Main/Image_Gallery/index.htm?l=en)

Eduspace - Software

 •  LEOWorks 3 (http://esamultimedia.esa.int/multimedia/LEOWorks3.exe)

Eduspace - Download

 •  Kilimanjaro.zip (7.4 Mb) (http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/eduspace/Kilimanjaro_2.zip)
 •  Vegetation zones on Mt Kilimanjaro (http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/eduspace/Kilimanjaro.pdf)
 •  Kilimanjaro GIS files (584 Kb) (http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/Kilimanjaro_GIS.zip)