Temporal - Spatial Change of the Vegetation Cover in Ashad and Sitrab Regions - Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques- Red Sea State – Sudan

This research analyzes the temporal and spatial change of vegetation cover in Ashad and Sitrab regions in Tokar locality, Red Sea State during 1987-2016 using Remote Sensing and GIS. Three Field surveys were taken place to have primary data about the study area and to have ground points also for helping image interpretation. Landsat 5, 7 and 8 (TM, ETM+ and OLI sensors respectively) satellite images for the years 1987, 1999, 2013 and 2016 were used to interpreted and estimate vegetation cover spatial and temporal change by using NDVI values and unsupervised classification. From the results the vegetation NDVI values ranged in 1987 in the range between (0.0554 -0.1554), (0.337 - 0.2286) in 1999, (0.915 -0.3635) in 2013 and between (0.0470 - 0.2493) in 2016. Field check was used to have specific ground points for area dominated by Acacia tortilles and Prosopis chilensis by (GPS). Also Balanites aegyptiaca, Capparis decidua and Salvadora persica and other trees were found dispersal. The temporal and spatial differences were noticed from 1987 to 1999 and 2013, where the area decreased from 192.38 to 187.39 and 148.59 Km2 Respectively. Due to drought and the increasing demand for firewood, pastures and the coal industry. As for the year 2016, the area increased to (175.72) Km2 due to the increasing in Prosopis chilensis trees, especially in Ashad and Sitrab regions. Finally the research developed some recommendations to solve the problem.

Keywords: NDVI, Ashad, Sitrab, Change detection, GIS, Remote Sensing.