Use of Current Remote Sensing Methods for Biodiversity Monitoring and Conservation of Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Ecosystems

Climate and land use change have become serious challenges facing protected areas globally, more so those in the tropical forest ecosystems. Kilimanjaro-Mountain National Park was specifically designated to protect and safeguard the highest free-standing mountain in the tropics. The park attracts thousands of national and international tourists annually because of its snow capped-summit and the altitudinal gradients, representing the different eco-climatic zones of the world. Earnings from tourism boost the country's economy while ensuring the sustainability of this unique glacial-tropical mountainous forest ecosystem park. Conventional monitoring of key biodiversity and environmental parameters are carried out by park staff, following established guidelines by Tanzania National Parks. However, given the park's geo-morphological nature of mountainous terrain, efficient implementations of the labor intensive in-situ observations are hardly feasible. This research explored the use of Remote Sensing data from the European Satellite Agency-Sentinel-2 Multi-Spectral Instrument, in developing a state-of-the-art monitoring protocol. The developed methodology ensures that essential biodiversity parameters, including Vegetation Indices, required in monitoring the vast areas of the park and its surroundings in the short-term and long-term, using up to date, high resolutions and frequently available Remote Sensing data from the Sentinel-2 Sensors are captured.