Gil, A., Fonseca, C. & Benedicto-Royuela, J. (2017) Mapping the spatial impact of livestock grazing activity in Pico Island (Azores, Portugal) in a 15-year period (1998-2013). Proceedings of the European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2017. Vienna, Austria.
This study describes a land use / land cover change (LULCC) detection approach aiming to identify and map spatial changes in Pico Island (Archipelago of the Azores, Portugal) directly or indirectly due to livestock grazing activity, in a 15-year period (1998-2013). These LULCC mapping and assessment procedures were developed by using a GIS-based procedure supported by airborne remote sensing data with very high spatial resolution (orthophotomaps) and field work. All relevant land use / land cover trade-offs and their respective drivers were also identified and characterized. Livestock grazing activity is proven to be a major driver of LULC change in Pico Island.
