Abdalla Fadl Elmula, Isam Eldin
These maps were produced from an uncontrolled mosaic of aerial photographs acquired in 58-1958. On these maps the
sed of a cultivated areas seem to cover small areas compared to the areas not utilized (vegetated areas). This means that there
low. was enough rainfall, no major drought effects, and consequently farmers had no need to expand their farms against the
vegetated areas. Also the soil productivity is good enough. From these results we come to an early conclusion that
people at that time were not practicing the agricultural works, and they were nomads.
3.4 Comparison of the land use/ land cover Areas:
The maps of the land use/ land cover over the three periods gave a computation of the cultivated areas, (which stands as
a witness to the destruction caused by the desertification). The percentages of these destructed (cultivated) areas of the
ack and four subsets were also computed, see tables 2, 3, 4, and 5. The areas for the different land cover types were computed
using the facilities of the GIS system (ARC/INFO software). Fig. 1 shows the graphs of the percentages of change of
SSD) in the cultivated areas for the four subsets.
or strata Year Total area Cultivated area Percentage of
in (Hectares) in (Hectares) The cultivated area
1958 213207.5 22736.39 10.66%
such as 1972 213207.5 34402.14 16.14%
e it was After 84-1985 213207.5 85384.84 40.05%
Table 2: The amounts and percentages of the cultivated areas in Sa'ata Ezzarqa Subset
Year Total area Cultivated area Percentage of
in (Hectares) in (Hectares) The cultivated area
1958 189271.7 36451.26 19.26%
1972 189271.70 61679.53 32.59%
After 84-1985 189271.7 92114.51 48.67%
is of the Table 3: The amounts and percentages of the cultivated areas in Hillat Sa'id subset
he near
eared in Year Total area Cultivated area Percentage of
veen the in (Hectares) in (Hectares) The cultivated area
1 band). 1958 159340.77 39409.17 24.7396
here the 1972 159340.77 57180.26 35.89%
amaged After 84-1985 159340.77 99919.21 62.71%
| RE Table 4: The amounts and percentages of the cultivated areas in Hillat Abu Ku' subset
ban :
Se maps Year Total area Cultivated area Percentage of
ng sites in (Hectares) in (Hectares) The cultivated area
T Scene. 1958 149964.77 13148.86 8.77%
and this
rized by 1972 149964.77 4628.83 3.09%
the (vs) After 84-1985 149964.77 13959.10 9.3196
a in the Table 5: The amounts and percentages of the cultivated areas in Addibeibat area.
the MIR
2). This
healthy
eas. The -
the light
hese are
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXIII, Part B7. Amsterdam 2000. 15