Mangrove landscape characterization and change in Twin Cays, Belize using aerial photography and IKONOS satellite data

We used aerial black-and-white and color photography, in conjunction with multispectral IKONOS satellite imagery, to classify mangrove vegetation and to characterize the spatial distribution of deforestation from 1986 to 2003 at Twin Cays, an intertidal mangrove archipelago located in the Mesoamerican Bamer Reef ecosystem in Belize, Central America. The classification map consists of seven classes and 29 subclasses that reflect the present (up to 2003) condition of mangrove forests (e.g., species, growth status, and deforestation) in the island. Land cover change analysis during this 15-year period showed a 52% increase in deforestation of mangrove communities across the archipelago, the creation of numerous survey lines, and the disappearance of parts of the fringe zone. The vegetation map presented in this study will help us develop spatial relationships at the plot and landscape scales between mangrove growth patterns and biogeochemical, nutrient cycling processes, and hydrological data in follow up studies. Our results could also be used by natural resource managers as a decision-making tool for sustainable management of mangrove tropical ecosystems in the Caribbean and other regions.