Analysis of Climate and Vegetation Characteristics along the Savanna-Desert Ecotone in Mali Using MODIS Data

MODIS data were used in conjunction with 600 ground survey points to create a 500 m resolution land cover product of Mali. It improves upon previously published land cover products for this region in resolution and accuracy. Of particular importance is the ability to detect small-scale, but important, wetland features such as rice cultivation areas. A combination of classical ground survey of vegetation type and structure, meteorological data, and remote sensing was used to quantify the relationship between vegetation and climate along the sensitive Sahel savanna—desert transition. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of using MODIS data for regional-scale studies.