1. introductionhumans have actively managed and transformed the world’s landscapes for millennia. after the industrial revolution (between 1820 and 1840) with increase in sanitation, food security and quality of life the human population increased tremendously. urbanization, the demographic transition from rural to urban, is associated with shifts from an agriculture-based economy to mass indus...

The world is witnessing a dramatic shift of settlement pattern from rural to urban population, particularly in developing countries. The rapid Addis Ababa urbanization reflects this global phenomenon and the subsequent socio-economic and environmental impacts, are causing massive public uproar and political instability. The objective of this study was to use remotely sensed Landsat data to iden...

Under the prevailing variable natural conditions nomadic pastoralism was the most suitable form of land use in Mongolia and the neighboring countries in the past. Furthermore, small areas were used for agriculture in some regions. Therefore, anthropogenic influence was present throughout history. In the forest steppe zone this led to the disappearance of forest sites which then gave way to mead...

Vegetation plays a key role in not only improving urban environments, but also conserving ecosystems. The spatial distribution of vegetation can be expected to make green corridors for landscape management, wind paths against heat island phenomena, etc. It is required to investigate the spatial distribution of vegetation on a regional scale because there should be green corridors and wind paths...

One commonly studied driver of community assembly is the eff ect of dominant species on subordinate species. Dominant species may impact community assembly during competitive sorting, or recruitment. For ants, important and abundant species in the tropics, several factors may drive community assembly including competition, dispersal, priority eff ects, and environmental conditions. Although com...

Inland saline wetlands are complex systems undergoing continuous changes in moisture and salinity and are especially vulnerable to human pressures. Remote sensing is helpful to identify vegetation change in semi-arid wetlands and to assess wetland degradation. Remote sensing-based monitoring requires identification of the spectral characteristics of soils and vegetation and their correspondence...