Mangrove Response to Environmental Change in Kakadu National Park

Mangrove extent and cover in Kakadu National Park (KNP) exhibit significant fluctuations primarily driven by sea level rise and changes in rainfall, with minimal human disturbance. The study used a 25-year time series of Landsat data to quantify annual changes, identifying a foliage projected cover threshold of ≥30% (~50% planimetric canopy cover) as the most accurate measure for capturing mangrove extent. These findings suggest that natural environmental changes, particularly those linked to climate variability, are reshaping the hydrological regime and potentially impacting the park's internationally significant wetlands.

Asbridge, E., & Lucas, R. M. (2016). Mangrove Response to Environmental Change in Kakadu National Park. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, 9(12), 5612–5620. https://doi.org/10.1109/jstars.2016.2616449