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Land productivity dynamics in Socotra Island (Yemen)

  • Socotra biodiversity research and nature conservation
  • Published:
Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Socotra, the largest of four islands in the Socotra archipelago (Yemen), is characterized by high geo-morphological and biological diversity. Traditional management of land resources has been impacted by cultural shifts, globalization and urban expansion. In addition, the island has been affected by climate impacts, such as droughts and recent cyclones causing significant economic and environmental damage. Our study presents an analysis of the dynamics of the vegetation on the island for the period 2001–2019 and highlights the status of different landscapes. We used Earth Observation techniques and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index to assess land productivity dynamics basing on vegetation indexes derived from average resolution satellite images. The results show that although the arid landscapes of Socotra seem resilient, over 30% of the central mountainous areas of the Hageher (hosting a unique and high biodiversity) are decreasing in productivity, whereas in the lowlands (where plant diversity is relatively lower) productivity has increased significantly for the same time period, up to 40% in some areas. Given the difference in biological diversity of the sites, this study can help prioritize conservation areas and activities, which are crucial for Socotra’s terrestrial environment. The methodology applied could be replicated for continuous monitoring in the future.

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modified from Attorre et al. (2014)

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Acknowledgements

This study was partially funded by the UNEP-GEF Project #5347: “Support to the Integrated Program for the Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Socotra Archipelago”. Honorary mention to the group Friends of Soqotra (FoS), for the enabling environment created that fostered fruitful discussions which enhanced the quality of this study. Initial results of this study were presented at the FoS annual Socotra conference in Palermo (2019).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza - University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Marcelo Rezende, Tullia Riccardi, Luca Malatesta & Fabio Attorre

  2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153, Rome, Italy

    Marcelo Rezende

  3. Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Kay Van Damme

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  1. Marcelo Rezende
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  2. Tullia Riccardi
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  3. Luca Malatesta
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  4. Fabio Attorre
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Correspondence to Marcelo Rezende.

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This paper belongs to a Topical Collection on “Twenty years of biodiversity research and nature conservation in the Socotra Archipelago” edited by Fabio Attorre and Kay Van Damme and originated at Socotra Conference (18th Friends of Socotra Conference), 26–29 September, 2019, Orto Botanico di Palermo, Palermo, Italy.

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Rezende, M., Riccardi, T., Malatesta, L. et al. Land productivity dynamics in Socotra Island (Yemen). Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 31, 737–746 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-020-00928-4

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