Application of free satellite imagery to map ecosystem services in Ungwana bay, Kenya

Abstract

A major obstacle to mapping Ecosystem Services (ES) and the application of the ES concept has been the inadequacy of data at the landscape level necessary for their quantification. This study takes advantage of free satellite imagery to map and provide relevant information regarding ES and contribute to the sustainable management of natural resources in developing countries. The aim is to assess the flow of ES in mangrove ecosystem of Ungwana Bay, located on the northern coast of Kenya, by adopting the Land Use Land Cover (LULC) matrix approach. This study characterized LULC classes present in the study area, identified the most important ES, and collected data on expert opinions via a survey on ES flow supplied by the mangrove ecosystem. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of the expert scoring produced a LULC matrix which, when integrated with the LULC maps, showed the spatial distribution of ES flow. The assessment indicates very high flow (5.0) for the regulating and supporting services, high flow (4.0) for the cultural services, and medium flow (3.0) for the provisioning services as supplied by mangroves. In addition, the analysis indicates there are sixteen major ES supplied by the mangrove ecosystem of Ungwana bay as of the year 2021. This study highlights the importance of mangroves as a coastal ecosystem and how the visualization of the spatial distribution of ES flow using maps can be useful in informing natural resource management. In addition, the study shows the possibilities of using freely accessible satellite imagery and software to bolster the ES assessment studies lacking in developing countries.