Combining field surveys, GIS and earth observation methods for localised environmental monitoring of hydrology and forestry ecosystem services

Abstract

Environmental monitoring of ecosystems within waterways and riparian corridors is challenging due to constraints on the spatio-temporal coverage that can be reached by extension workers and environmental regulators. Prioritising particular areas geographically may support the planning for allocation of finite resources for environmental monitoring, reporting, protection, rehabilitation and restoration. Yet the extent to which this form of prioritisation can be made fit for purpose in local contexts including Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) is still relatively unexplored. This thesis seeks to investigate the extent to which the elements of ecosystem services, land-ocean ecological connectivity, climate risks and island and ocean stewardship can be integrated into this prioritisation through combining localised field surveys, GIS and earth observation approaches.

The Ba River Catchment in Fiji is one of the most severely degraded catchments in terms of its ecological status and change in Land Use Land Cover (LULC) status relative to other catchments in Fiji. As a result, it has been selected as the case study for this research. The research combines field observations, GIS and earth observation monitoring to investigate the potential for geographic prioritisation to integrate the contextual elements of ecosystem services, land-ocean ecological connectivity, climate risk and island and ocean stewardship. The thesis explores three main areas of environmental monitoring 1) water quality variability along the longitudinal gradient of the Ba River, 2) forest inventory measurements of riparian vegetation and wider analysis of tree cover losses across the Ba River Catchment and 3) assessment of the impacts of climate risks including tropical cyclones on tree cover loss.

The research identifies several major and minor environmental and climatic stressors impacting ecosystem services in waterways and riparian corridors. The thesis provides three case studies displaying how the elements of ecosystem services, land-ocean connectivity, climate risk and island and ocean stewardship can be spatially integrated. In doing so, the thesis also highlights the barriers and enablers for this geographic prioritisation. These impacts have implications for land-ocean ecological connectivity across the Ba River Catchment case study and wider island catchments. The findings offer learnings and implications for wider environmental monitoring, reporting, protection, rehabilitation and restoration. Show more