Mapping locust habitats in River Ili Delta, Kazakhstan, using Landsat imagery

The River Ili delta in southeast Kazakhstan is an important permanent breeding area for the Asian migratory locust (Locusta migratoria migratoria). Preventing locust swarms from flying out of the delta and damaging crops in adjacent areas is the primary objective of locust management programs in the region. In this study the utility of Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) data was tested for mapping land cover and identification of reed areas within River Ili delta. Through digital processing of the satellite data, a land cover map was generated (overall accuracy = 79%, Kappa value = 0.745) and potential locust habitats of importance to pest managers were identified. ETM+ data were effective in identifying areas with reed monoculture, the primary locust habitat (Conditional Kappa value = 0.905), and areas with reeds and water (Conditional Kappa value = 0.865). However, ETM+ data were less effective in identifying sites where reeds were mixed with other vegetation (Conditional Kappa value = 0.414). Based on the results from this study, approximately 26% of the delta was identified at high risk as a potential locust habitat.