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BackgroundStudies which have been conducted so far have focused on the processes of land use/cover changes in different areas at regional and global scale. Little is known about factors that influence land use/ cover dynamics at finer scales such as Melela ward in Mvomero district, Morogoro, Tanzania. Goals and ObjectivesThe overall objective of the study therefore was to evaluate the land use land cover dynamics and their impacts on pastoralism in Melela. Specifically, the study intended to examine land use/cover dynamics from 1991 to 2016, to identify socio-economic factors that influence land use/cover dynamics and to determine the effects of land use/ cover dynamics on pastoral communities and agricultural production. MethodologyRemote sensed satellite data were used for change detection analysis to assess the spatial and temporal land use/ cover change for the study area. Satellite images were processed and analysed to detect changes in land use/ cover at the site by using change detection analysis technique to evaluate transition in land use/ cover and to estimate changes in the area. A geographical positioning system (GPS) receiver was used for georeferencing the points for supervised classification and accuracy assessment. Change detection analysis and post classification comparison was used for the analysis of data. The analyses involved the application of an algorithm used to detect changes in spectral signature of the image. The products were the matrices and the categories of land use/ cover changes at the site. Descriptive statistics was employed to analyse the social economic data. Results and DiscussionThe study findings indicated a significant change in LULC as evidenced by an increase in agriculture and a loss of woodland within the plain. The period 2000-2016 has shown gains of agriculture and losses of woodland areas. Changes in the crops grown, increased immigrants of pastoralists, population growth, charcoal burning and livestock keeping contributed to an overuse of the existing land resources, which resulted in significant variations in the spatiotemporal patterns of land use changes with respect to specific socio-economic drivers. The assessment of changes in grazing land in Melela has shown that the current patterns are going to increase the existence of pastoralists in the region. Farmers on the other hand feel the grazing pressure brought about by the pastoral immigrants on their farms. The results of this study quantify the dynamics of land use/cover and its drivers on sustainable use of land. In the face of increasing population, pastoralism, and charcoal burning, there is a need for sustainable utilization of land resources.
