scholarly journals The first sub-meter resolution digital elevation model of the Kruger National Park, South Africa

Koedoe ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Heckel ◽  
Marcel Urban ◽  
Jean-Sébastien Bouffard ◽  
Jussi Baade ◽  
Peter Boucher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
National Park ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Ecosystem Research ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Elevation Data ◽  
Very High

The use of digital elevation models has proven to be crucial in numerous studies related to savanna ecosystem research. However, the insufficient spatial resolution of the chosen input data is often considered to be a limiting factor when conducting local to regional scale ecosystem analysis. The elevation models and orthorectified imagery created in this study represent the first wall-to-wall digital elevation data sets produced for the Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa, at very high spatial resolution. Using colour-infrared (CIR) aerial imagery from the archives of the Chief Directorate: National Geo-spatial Information (CDNGI), Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) aerial acquisition programme, we created digital surface models (DSMs), digital terrain models (DTMs) and CIR orthomosaics covering the entire KNP with a nominal ground sampling distance of 0.25 m. Elevation information was derived using state-of-the-art stereo matching algorithms that utilised semi-global matching (SGM) as a cost aggregation function throughout the image pairing, using the Enterprise software from CATALYST. The final products were validated against reference products, and showed excellent agreement with R² values of 0.99. Further, the validation of the DTM and DSM revealed median absolute vertical height error (LE90) across all sites of 1.02 m and 2.58 m, respectively. The orthomosaics were validated with in situ ground control points (GCPs) exhibiting a horizontal Circular Probable Error (CPE) of 1.37 m. The data resulting from this work will be distributed freely with the aim of fostering more scientific studies in the African science community and beyond.Conservation implications: Accurate information about terrain and surface height are crucial inputs to a variety of scientific analysis, which are essential in protected areas, such as flood prediction or fire hazard estimation. Elevation data sets and orthomosaics in very high resolution can therefore serve as a crucial tool to improve park management and foster positive implications on conservation efforts.

scholarly journals Catchment properties in the Kruger National Park derived from the new TanDEM-X Intermediate Digital Elevation Model (IDEM)

2015 ◽  
Vol XL-7/W3 ◽  
pp. 293-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Baade ◽  
C. Schmullius
Keyword(s):  
Digital Elevation Model ◽  
National Park ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Earth Surface ◽  
The Past ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Precision And Accuracy ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
Reservoir Basin

Digital Elevation Models (DEM) represent fundamental data for a wide range of Earth surface process studies. Over the past years the German TanDEM-X mission acquired data for a new, truly global Digital Elevation Model with unpreceded geometric resolution, precision and accuracy. First processed data sets (i. e. IDEM) with a geometric resolution of 0.4 to 3 arcsec have been made available for scientific purposes. This includes four 1° x 1° tiles covering the Kruger National Park in South Africa. Here we document the results of a local scale IDEM validation exercise utilizing RTK-GNSS-based ground survey points from a dried out reservoir basin and its vicinity characterized by pristine open Savanna vegetation. Selected precursor data sets (SRTM1, SRTM90, ASTER-GDEM2) were included in the analysis and highlight the immense progress in satellite-based Earth surface surveying over the past two decades. Surprisingly, the high precision and accuracy of the IDEM data sets have only little impact on the delineation of watersheds and the calculation of catchment size. But, when it comes to the derivation of topographic catchment properties (e.g. mean slope, etc.) the high resolution of the IDEM04 is of crucial importance, if - from a geomorphologist’s view - it was not for the disturbing vegetation.

scholarly journals Ecological suitability modeling for anthrax in the Kruger National Park, South Africa

PLoS ONE ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. e0191704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter Johan Steenkamp ◽  
Henriette van Heerden ◽  
Ockert Louis van Schalkwyk
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
National Park ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
Ecological Suitability

scholarly journals ON GENERATING DIGITAL ELEVATION MODELS FROM LIDAR DATA – RESOLUTION VERSUS ACCURACY AND TOPOGRAPHIC WETNESS INDEX INDICES IN NORTHERN PEATLANDS

2012 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulghani Hasan ◽  
Petter Pilesjö ◽  
Andreas Persson
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Drainage Area ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Topographic Wetness Index ◽  
Absolute Deviation ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Elevation Data ◽  
Scale Modelling ◽  
Data Points ◽  
Emission Modelling

Global change and GHG emission modelling are dependent on accurate wetness estimations for predictions of e.g. methane emissions. This study aims to quantify how the slope, drainage area and the TWI vary with the resolution of DEMs for a flat peatland area. Six DEMs with spatial resolutions from 0.5 to 90 m were interpolated with four different search radiuses. The relationship between accuracy of the DEM and the slope was tested. The LiDAR elevation data was divided into two data sets. The number of data points facilitated an evaluation dataset with data points not more than 10 mm away from the cell centre points in the interpolation dataset. The DEM was evaluated using a quantile-quantile test and the normalized median absolute deviation. It showed independence of the resolution when using the same search radius. The accuracy of the estimated elevation for different slopes was tested using the 0.5 meter DEM and it showed a higher deviation from evaluation data for steep areas. The slope estimations between resolutions showed differences with values that exceeded 50%. Drainage areas were tested for three resolutions, with coinciding evaluation points. The model ability to generate drainage area at each resolution was tested by pair wise comparison of three data subsets and showed differences of more than 50% in 25% of the evaluated points. The results show that consideration of DEM resolution is a necessity for the use of slope, drainage area and TWI data in large scale modelling.

scholarly journals Visitation patterns of principal species of the insect-complex at carcasses in the Kruger National Park

Koedoe ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
L.E.O Braack
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
National Park ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
Physical Attributes ◽  
Principal Species ◽  
Aepyceros Melampus

Two full-grown impala rams Aepyceros melampus were shot on 1978.01.07 in the Pafuri area of the Kruger National Park, Republic of South Africa. The carcasses were placed in enclosures 2,7 km apart and used to monitor the visitation patterns of insects. Collections of insects were made at four-hourly intervals for the first six days after placement of the carcasses, and thereafter every six hours up to the eleventh and final day. A figure is given to describe changes in the physical attributes of the carcasses through time. Twelve figures depict the patterns of arrival of insects at the carrion habitat. Species from the following families are represented: Cleridae, Dermestidae, Histeridae, Scarabaeidae, Silphidae, Staphylinidae, Trogidae (Coleoptera); Calliphoridae, Muscidae, Piophilidae, Sepsidae (Diptera); Diapriidae and Formicidae (Hymenoptera). The results indicate that species have distinctive periods of abundance and presents an overall picture of insect succession at carrion.

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