A Geographic Information System (GIS)-based approach for relating anthropogenic impact and environmental stress: a case study within the African Albertine Rift

Abstract

This study introduces a potentially cost-effective methodology to assess habitat quality remotely using anthropogenic variables derived from both Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing. We related anthropogenic impact to organism-level response across the Albertine Rift of East-Africa, which was measured using body condition (BC) in Lophuromys aquilus, the dark-coloured brush-furred rat. We chose seven variables to measure anthropogenic impact, ranging from land cover/land use to nighttime light radiance. Using a principal component analysis, we extracted four components that describe human impact and correlated each with BC. We documented that BC tended to be higher in more disturbed areas. We recommend this GIS-based methodology to relate anthropogenic impact to organismal-level response in the Albertine Rift region, and we provide broad guidelines for its application to assess habitat quality for species of conservation concern.

Keywords:

• Albertine Rift
• anthropogenic impact
• GIS
• Lophuromys aquilus
• remote sensing