ECOFOR

Project Summary

This NASA-funded project developed new satellite-based tools to help conservation managers monitor and respond to rapid ecological change across the Greater Kruger National Park region of South Africa. By combining NASA’s GEDI spaceborne lidar with other satellite observations, we produced annual, 30-m maps of vegetation structure and change spanning 2007–2024, providing a consistent landscape-scale view of changes that previously could only be assessed through fragmented field observations or periodic mapping. Working closely with South African National Parks, private nature reserves, and regional conservation and education partners, we used these products to identify and track woody encroachment, elephant-driven tree loss, fire impacts, vegetation responses to waterhole management and other rewilding activities, and other changes occurring across protected areas and their surrounding landscapes. The resulting maps and decision-support tools are now informing ecological assessments and management discussions related to prescribed fire, artificial waterhole closures, elephant impacts, and protection of sensitive vegetation, while providing a common framework for conservation planning across management boundaries. The project also supported student training and local capacity building and established long-term partnerships that continue to expand the use of Earth observations for conservation and management in the region.

Research Questions

Question 1

How have vegetation patterns and wildlife habitat habitat for a set of focal indicator species been impacted by rewilding activities following changes in protected area boundaries and mixed land-use configurations across recent decades?

Question 2

What are some of the identified drivers, impacts, and trends of both natural and
anthropogenic disturbance events within buffer zones along the edges of GKNP (e.g. fire, elephant impacts, urbanization)?

Question 3

What spatial products and planning tools would fill current data gaps in support of
informed decisions on land planning by a variety of managers and user groups in the region?

Project Outputs

Publications

Coetsee, C., Kleyn, L., Vogeler, J.C., Filippelli,S.K., Vermeulen, L.M., Wigley, B.J., & Ferreira, S. (2026). Long-Term Vegetation Changes in Elephant-Related Areas of Concern in Kruger National Park, South Africa. Ecological Applications, 36(2): e70208. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.70208

Filippelli, S.K., Vogeler, J.C., Mauro, F., Coetsee, C., Fekety, P.A., McHale, M., & Bunn., D. (2026). Tracking savanna woody structure by extension of space-borne lidar metrics with radar and optical imagery across the Greater Kruger National Park region, South Africa. Science of Remote Sensing, p.100388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.srs.2026.100388

Spatial Data Products

Filippelli, S.K., J. Vogeler, and D. Bunn. (2025). Greater Kruger National Park wall-to-wall 30 m GEDI Canopy Metrics 2007-2022. ORNL DAAC, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/2401

Articles & Other Hightlights

NASA Earth Observatory Image of the Day Article:
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154860/rewilding-south-africas-greater-kruger

Project Team & Funding

Collaborators

Dr. David Bunn - University of British Columbia (co-PI)
Dr. Melissa McHale - University of British Columbia (Co-I)
Dr. Neil Carter - University of Michigan (Co-I)
Dr. Sharon Hall - Arizona State University (Co-I)