Scientific African最新文献

{"title":"Optimizing green hydrogen strategies in Tunisia: A combined SWOT-MCDM approach","authors":"Sassi Rekik","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02438","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02438","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tunisia's rapid industrial expansion and population growth have created a pressing energy deficit, despite the country's significant, yet largely untapped, renewable energy potential. This study addressed this challenge by developing a comprehensive framework to identify and evaluate strategies for promoting green hydrogen production from renewable energy sources in Tunisia. A Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat (SWOT) analysis, incorporating social, economic, and environmental dimensions, was conducted to formulate potential solutions. The Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) method facilitated the weighting of SWOT factors and sub-factors. Subsequently, a multi-criteria decision-making approach, employing the gray technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS-G) method (validated by gray additive ratio assessment (ARAS-G), gray complex proportional assessment (COPRAS-G), and gray multi-objective optimization by ratio analysis (MOORA-G), was used to rank the identified strategies.</div><div>The SWOT analysis revealed \"Strengths\" as the most influential factor with a relative weight of 47.3 %, followed by \"Weaknesses\" (26.5 %), \"Threats\" (15.6 %), and \"Opportunities\" (10.6 %). Specifically, experts emphasized Tunisia's renewable energy potential (21.89 %) and robust power system (12.11 %) as primary strengths. Conversely, high investment costs (11.2 %) and political instability (7.77 %) posed substantial threat. Positive socio-economic impacts represented a key opportunity with a score of 5.2 %. As for the strategies prioritizing criteria, production cost ranked first with a score of 13.5 %, followed by environmental impact (12.8 %), renewable energy potential (12.0 %), and mitigation costs (11.3 %). The gray TOPSIS analysis identified two key strategies: leveraging Tunisia's wind and solar resources and fostering regional cooperation for project implementation. The robustness of these strategies is confirmed by the strong correlation between TOPSIS-G, ARAS-G, COPRAS-G, and MOORA-G results. Overall, the study provides a comprehensive roadmap and expert-informed decision-support tools, offering valuable insights for policymakers, investors, and stakeholders in Tunisia and other emerging economies facing similar energy challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article e02438"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142538289","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing land use change from food croplands to rubber in Ghana's Ellembelle district: Implications for food self-sufficiency","authors":"George Ashiagbor,&nbsp;Victor Quarshie,&nbsp;Sandra Sawdiatu Inusah,&nbsp;Isaac Stanisluv Essah,&nbsp;Sinka Khadijah Abubakar,&nbsp;Erasmus Narteh Tetteh,&nbsp;Winston Adams Asante","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02433","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02433","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is evidence that cocoa and cashew farmers are targeting croplands for expansion, reducing cropland areas with negative implications for food self-sufficiency in Ghana. However, research on the dynamics of rubber expansion and its possible impact on food self-sufficiency is limited. This study analysed the intensity of land use transition from food crops to rubber and its implications for food self-sufficiency among rubber-growing households in the Ellembelle District. Land use maps were used to analyse the intensity of transition associated with rubber and food crops from 1991 to 2022. Additionally, questionnaires were used to gather information on rubber expansion, cropland loss, and food self-sufficiency from 160 rubber farmers. A Chi-square test was used to determine the relationship between households that converted croplands to rubber and food self-sufficiency. The study showed that rubber had expanded by 9647.5 ha, mainly targeting food croplands. Majority (75.3 %) of farmers reported a decline in food availability, 68.5 % reported reduced access to food, and 49.3 % indicated a decline in dietary diversity, indicating a general decrease in food self-sufficiency. However, there was no statistically significant relation between farmers who converted cropland to rubber and food self-sufficiency. This suggests that the decline in food self-sufficiency is not a result of rubber expansion but of the disproportional cropland expansion to population growth and known challenges to crop production. To achieve food self-sufficiency, there is a need to increase food crop farming among rubber-growing farmers. This can be achieved by allowing rubber farmers to spare lands solely for food crop farming, providing subsidised agricultural inputs, and enhanced extension support. Also, creating a reliable market for staple food crops such as cassava and addressing supply chain obstacles like poor road networks are essential for making food crop farming competitive.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article e02433"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142538390","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating the influence of digital transformation, budgeting and budgetary control on the financial performance of SMEs","authors":"Oziegbe Simeon Ebhota,&nbsp;Yao Hongxing,&nbsp;Agyemang Kwasi Sampene","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02429","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02429","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The study delves into the challenges and opportunities SMEs face in South-West Nigeria, focusing on the transformative impacts of digitalization, big data analytics, customer experience enhancement, and stringent budgeting controls on their financial performance. The research analyzes data from 825 SMEs through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) analyze the data. The findings indicate that digital transformation significantly boosts customer experience, big data analytics, and budgetary controls. Enhanced customer experience and effective big data utilization reciprocally improve budgetary control processes, which are crucial for financial performance. The study reveals the mediating roles of customer experience and big data analytics in the relationship between digital transformation and budgeting control, highlighting the interconnectedness of these factors. Financial efficiency also emerges as a significant moderator in the nexus between budgetary control and financial performance, underscoring its influence on economic outcomes. This research proposed initiatives such as investments in customer relationship management systems, personalized services, and streamlined communication channels to create positive customer experiences that, in turn, positively influence budgeting outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article e02429"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142571899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the mobility of Zn, Pb and Ni during the weathering of Nkana smelter copper slag, Zambia","authors":"Jonas Harimana ,&nbsp;Misozi Makangila ,&nbsp;Jhonnah Mundike ,&nbsp;Kakoma Kenneth Maseka","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02426","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02426","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mine slag dumps could be point-sources of possible pollutants to the surrounding water and soils. The purpose of this study was to investigate the leaching behavior of zinc, lead and nickel from Nkana copper slag dump of Kitwe in Zambia. To assess the toxicity and hazardous nature of the slag, Bath Leaching EN 12,457–2:2002, Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) and Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP) were employed. The results from these techniques revealed that the copper slag was inert in the open or natural environment. Sequential extraction analysis was conducted to analyze the fractionation of the zinc, lead and nickel using a seven-step procedure. The sequential extraction analysis showed that the 3 metals were predominantly present in the residual fraction. The risk assessment code (RAC) showed that zinc and lead's mobility could pose an environmental risk categorized as low risk, with RAC values of 1.31 % and 1.50 %, respectively. Nickel's mobility fell within the no-risk category with a RAC of 0.32 %. Additionally, the effect of pH, particle size and contact time on the release of the 3 metals were investigated. The results showed that the highest concentrations of zinc and nickel were observed for longer period of exposure (&gt;33 days), in acidic environments (pH 2.2 and pH 3.0), for particle size distribution (&lt;75 μm). However, lead leaching was not affected by the variation of pH or particle size distribution but mostly by duration of exposure. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that diopside (CaMgSi₂O₆) and quartz (SiO₂) constitute the primary phases within the sample. It is recommended to limit the exposure of slag material to acidic environments and minimize the fragmentation of the slag into finer particles as these conditions would promote increased release of zinc, lead and nickel to the surrounding environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article e02426"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142538288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Isolation and molecular identification of cellulose-degrading bacteria from rumen sheep ''Ovis aries'' and evaluation of their cellulase production","authors":"Khaoula Ben Ghalib ,&nbsp;Mohamed Chadli ,&nbsp;Sevgi Durna Daştan ,&nbsp;Noureddine Elmtili","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02439","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02439","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study focuses on the isolation and identification of cellulose-degrading bacteria from the digestive tract of sheep (<em>Ovis aries</em>) and to determine the cellulase capacity of different isolates for ulterior application. The bacterial strains were screened firstly using Congo red, where cellulase activity is indicated by the appearance of a hydrolysis zone on the Carboxymethylcellulose medium (CMC), the clearance zone value ranged between 8 and 15 mm for all isolates and the hydrolytic capacity was between 1.6 to 2.5 mm. The cellulolytic strain isolates were identified using MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry and 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. MALDI-TOF MS test indicated that all strains belonged to Bacillaceae family. The strains Isolate2, Isolate3, and Isolate8 were reliable to <em>B. tequilensis</em> species with a score value 2.0. Whereas, the Isolate1, Isolate4, Isolate5, and Isolate6 were reliably identified to the genus level (Score value 1.7–1.99). The molecular identification results revealed that the strains indicate a high sequence similarity with 16S rRNA gene sequences accessible in GenBank database and belong to <em>Priestia megaterium, Lysinibacillus capsici, Bacillus tequilensis</em>, and <em>Bacillus paralicheniformis</em>. The highest Carboxymethylcellulase activity (CMCase) was obtained by <em>B. tequilensis</em> (0.827 ± 0.035 U/ml) at a pH of 7.0 and temperature of 30 °C at 100 g. The carbon source utilized was CMC (1 %), while peptone (1 %) and ammonium sulfate (0.24 %) served as the nitrogen sources. Further research in optimizing and purifying of cellulase, could be useful for the future hydrolyzation of some green biomass for various biotechnological applications such as biofuel production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article e02439"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142538392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the impact of telephone call intervention on medication adherence in individuals with mental health disorders: A longitudinal study in a tertiary facility in Volta Region","authors":"Thelma Alalbila Aku ,&nbsp;Ebenezer Wiafe ,&nbsp;Samira Mina Alhassan ,&nbsp;Peter Yamoah ,&nbsp;Eugene Dordoye ,&nbsp;Joseph K.N. Nyoagbe ,&nbsp;Araba Hutton-Nyameaye ,&nbsp;Israel Sefah ,&nbsp;Justice Jones ,&nbsp;Harrison Awuttey ,&nbsp;John K.A. Korbuvi ,&nbsp;Varsha Bangalee","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02436","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02436","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Medication adherence strategies that are successful, suitable and economical are vital to the treatment outcome of persons living with mental illness. Mobile-phone-based intervention is one such strategy and is particularly critical to reducing medication non-adherence, especially in mental health disorders. This study aimed to assess the impact of telephone adherence counselling on medication adherence in persons with mental health disorders. A longitudinal study was conducted on study participants who were randomly assigned to control and intervention groups over three months. Both groups received standard medication adherence counselling for the first month and then baseline adherence levels were determined using the medication adherence rating scale (MARS). The control group received standard medication adherence counselling at the psychiatric clinic whilst the intervention group received additional telephone calls made to each member of the intervention group once a week for a total of 8 times over 2 months. Of the patients who were screened for potential participation, 149 participants passed and 87 participants participated making a response rate of 58.40 %. The <em>t</em>-test conducted on the participants after the first (Month 2) and second (Month 3) on those with Telephone Call Intervention inferred significant statistical differences (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). MARS Scores appreciated in the intervention group compared to the control group in Month 2 (1.64) and Month 3 (1.79). A positive impact of Telephone Call Interventions on medication adherence was achieved. This intervention can be a medication adherence strategy to supplement the standard medication adherence counselling which could improve treatment outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article e02436"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142538380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Precise LULC classification of rural area combining elevational and reflectance characteristics using UAV","authors":"Ke Zhang ,&nbsp;Lameck Fiwa ,&nbsp;Madoka Kurata ,&nbsp;Hiromu Okazawa ,&nbsp;Kenford A.B. Luweya ,&nbsp;Mohammad Shamim Hasan Mandal ,&nbsp;Toru Sakai","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02431","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02431","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the development of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the recent decade, very high-resolution aerial imagery has been used for precise land use/land cover classification (LULC). However, special structures in rural areas of developing countries such as traditional thatched houses have posed challenges for precise LULC classification due to their undistinctive appearance and confusable characteristics in both reflectance and structure. LULC mapping is essential particularly in rural areas which have high data scarcity and vulnerability to natural disasters. With high-resolution observation has been achieved by UAVs, it is important to propose high-precision LULC classification methods which can fully use the advantages of UAVs. To emphasize the differences among the common LULC types in rural areas, this study proposed an original index, the rural residence classification index (RCI). RCI was calculated as the product of the above ground height and the square of the difference between the NDVI value and one. Then, a comprehensive classification method was established by combining the RCI, the traditional threshold method and a machine learning method. As a result of the comparison with the traditional threshold method, object-based image analysis, and random forest methods, the method by this study achieved the highest overall accuracy (overall accuracy = 0.903, kappa = 0.875) and classification accuracy for detecting thatched houses (user's accuracy = 0.802, producer's accuracy = 0.920). These findings showed the possibility on identifying the confusable structures in rural areas using remote sensing data, which was found difficult by the previous studies so far. The method by this study can promote the further utility of UAVs in LULC classification in rural areas in developing countries, thereby providing precise and reliable material for hydrological, hydraulic or ecosystem modelling, which eventually contributes to more accurate natural hazard risk assessment, rural development, and natural resource management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article e02431"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142538469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Surface water quality assessment and probable health threats of metal exposure in the Tano South Municipality, Ahafo, Ghana","authors":"Jackson Adiyiah Nyantakyi ,&nbsp;Lilian Sarpong ,&nbsp;Roland Boadi Mensah ,&nbsp;Samuel Wiafe","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02437","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02437","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The prime goal of this study was to assess the surface water quality and the associated health risks for residents in the Tano South Municipality, Ghana. The WHO drinking water criteria were compared with the findings of an analysis of eight surface waters for parameters such as physiochemical parameters, nutrient levels, and concentrations of selected metals. An evaluation was performed regarding the potential non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks associated with metal exposure by oral and dermal absorption. The estimated water quality index indicated that seven water samples were deemed unsuitable for human consumption, while one sample indicated very low water quality. The fluoride levels in all water samples were below the limit of detection, although it guards against dental caries. All of the water samples had mean concentrations of Cd and Fe above WHO guideline values, while one water sample had a Pb concentration that was higher than recommended. Principal component analysis showed that aside from the natural source, human-induced sources such as runoff of excess chemicals and soil erosion from adjacent farm soils were responsible for the substantial levels of contaminants in surface water samples. There was a possibility of non-carcinogenic consequences for children in seven out of eight water samples. However, cancer risk for Cd and Pb was not likely for adults and children in the study area. Findings serve as a representative case study for other districts and call on water managers to treat surface waters to guard against harmful health consequences and safeguard the designated buffer zones.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article e02437"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142538373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aloe ferox leaf gel extracts attenuate redox imbalance in oxidative renal injury and stimulates glucose uptake, whilst inhibiting key enzymes linked to diabetes and obesity","authors":"Huda Ismail,&nbsp;Almahi I. Mohamed,&nbsp;Md. Shahidul Islam","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02425","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02425","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The worldwide prevalence of diabetes and obesity is growing rapidly. Both metabolic disorders are linked to chronic adverse complications, which include kidney dysfunctions. Medicinal plants play a crucial role in traditional healthcare, especially in developing countries. <em>Aloe ferox</em>, native to South Africa, has a long history of medicinal use, but its pharmacological potential is less studied compared to other <em>Aloe</em> species, necessitating further investigation. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the antioxidative, anti-obesogenic, and antidiabetic effects of <em>A. ferox</em> leaf gel extracts using <em>in vitro, ex vivo</em>, and <em>in silico</em> experimental models, with oxidative renal damage induced by ferrous sulfate (FeSO₄). <em>A. ferox</em> leaf gel extracts exhibited strong antioxidant activity, inhibited carbohydrate and lipid digesting enzymes, and significantly improved glucose uptake in yeast. The aqueous extract demonstrated better antioxidant efficacy, leading to higher reduced glutathione (GSH) level, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase enzymes activity, along with a concurrent reduction of nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Likewise, the aqueous extract showed more potent <em>in vitro</em> DPPH, NO, and OH• radical scavenging activity with IC₅₀ values of 3.64 ± 0.3 μg/mL, 110.73±0.1 μg/mL, and 331.13 ± 0.7 μg/mL, respectively. The aqueous extract had a better inhibition of the enzyme, α-amylase (IC₅₀ = 25.73±2.5 µg/mL), whilst the ethanolic extract inhibited α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ =663.2 ± 0.3 µg/ml), and pancreatic lipase (IC₅₀ =122.01±5.9 µg/mL) more strongly. Incubation of the extracts with yeast cells stimulated glucose uptake dose dependently, when ethanolic extract (IC₅₀ = 308.01±0.7 µg/mL) showed the better effects compared to the aqueous extract (IC₅₀ = 338.79±7.05 µg/mL). Furthermore, LC-MS analysis led to the identification of many compounds, when chlorogenic acid demonstrated a stronger molecular interaction with the active site amino acids of α-amylase and catalase compared to other compounds. However, Aloin B showed the highest binding affinity with α-glucosidase, when 5-Hydroxyaloin A showed the lowest binding energy with lipase and SOD enzymes. These results suggest the reno-protective effects of A<em>. ferox</em> leaf gel extracts against FeSO₄-induced oxidative stress along with its anti-hyperglycaemic activity. Given these observed effects, <em>A. ferox</em> leaf gel could be valuable in developing natural therapies and potential drug development for the management of these disorders. Further studies in animal models and humans are needed to ascertain the results of this study.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article e02425"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142552104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An evaluation of single and multi-date Landsat image classifications using random forest algorithm in a semi-arid savanna of Ghana, West Africa","authors":"Eric Adjei Lawer","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02434","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02434","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate detection and quantification of land use and land cover (LULC) change is critical for understanding landscape patterns in heterogeneous semi-arid environments. This study investigates the performance of single-date and multi-date Landsat images as well as the relationship between different LULC schemes (simple [2 and 4 classes] and complex [6 and 9 classes]) and the resulting classification accuracy. Specifically, the random forest algorithm was applied to Landsat data comprised of different combinations of image dates (single-date and multi-date) captured in June, October, and December for multiple levels of LULC (scheme) mapping and accuracy evaluations due to its high performance when dealing with large data and heterogeneous landscapes. Results indicated that multi-date images consistently produced higher classification accuracies than single-date images. Significant negative correlations observed between the number of classes in LULC schemes and overall accuracy and kappa coefficient indicate that the more complex the LULC scheme, the lower the accuracy produced. Nevertheless, improvement in overall accuracy was negligible for simple schemes (e.g., ∼1 % for two LULC classes), while it was moderate for complex schemes (∼5 %) when using the best-performing images for multi-date (June-October-December) compared to single-date (October) classifications: however, the improvement was considerable when compared to the least performing single-date image (June, 8–15 %). These varying classification accuracies were due to differences or similarities in spectral responses of target classes in the various LULC schemes applied to the investigated images. Consequently, the resulting differences in the spatial distribution and quantification of LULC classes produced by the different approaches can affect policy and land management decisions, especially if inappropriate image dates are used for LULC mapping. Overall, the findings highlight the reliability of appropriate single-date and multi-date images for mapping LULC change using simple and complex schemes in heterogeneous semi-arid savanna landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article e02434"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142538292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}