An assessment of coastal land cover and off-road vehicle tracks adjacent to Ningaloo Marine Park, north-western Australia. (1st August 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kobryn, Halina T.; Beckley, Lynnath E.; Cramer, Viki; Newsome, David
• Is Part Of: Ocean & coastal management. Volume 145(2017)
• Page Start: 94
• Page End: 105
• Publication Date: 2017-08-01
• Subjects: Hyperspectral imagery -- Off-road vehicle -- Tracks -- Vegetation -- Land surface characteristics -- Land cover -- World Heritage Area -- Ningaloo Marine Park; Marine resources -- Management -- Periodicals; Coastal zone management -- Periodicals; Coastal ecology -- Periodicals; Ressources marines -- Périodiques; Littoral -- Aménagement -- Périodiques; Écologie littorale -- Périodiques; Coastal ecology; Coastal zone management; Marine resources -- Management; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 551.46
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2017.05.009
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0964-5691

Abstract

Abstract: This paper examines environmental characteristics of a remote coastline adjacent to an extensive fringing coral reef in a World Heritage Area impacted by tourism and extensive use of off-road vehicles. Hyperspectral remote sensing imagery combined with field validation were used to map and characterise the 300-km coast including shore type, land cover and vehicle track footprint. Adjacent to Ningaloo Marine Park, only sparse coastal vegetation cover was present. However, there exists an extensive (1256 km) vehicle track network with the highest densities near accommodation nodes and sandy beaches (over 65% of tracks). Areas managed for conservation had fewer tracks and the lowest track density (0.3 km/km 2 ) compared to pastoral stations (∼1.9 km/km 2 ). The cumulative lengths of tracks were highest on pastoral stations used for livestock grazing, coastal access and camping (945 km out of the total of 1256 km of tracks). The fragility of the arid landscape and this assessment of off-road vehicle impact obtained through detailed mapping of tracks indicate the need for management measures to mitigate the damage and cope with the increasing numbers of visitors. Graphical abstract: Highlights: Land cover and vehicle tracks mapped using hyperspectral data. Vegetation is sparse and large areas are bare sand and limestone. The network of tracks is extensive and varies relative to land tenure. Arid nature of the landscape makes it susceptible to degradation. Significant management issues due to track legacy initiated land degradation.