Browsing by Author "White, Justin H."

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    Landscape Dynamics on the Island of La Gonave, Haiti, 1990-2010
    White, Justin H.; Shao, Yang; Kennedy, Lisa M.; Campbell, James B. Jr. (MDPI, 2013-09-16)
    The island of La Gonave lies northwest of Port-au-Prince and is representative of the subsistence Haitian lifestyle. Little is known about the land cover changes and conversion rates on La Gonave. Using Landsat images from 1990 to 2010, this research investigates landscape dynamics through image classification, change detection, and landscape pattern analysis. Five land cover classes were considered: Agriculture, Forest/Dense Vegetation (DV), Shrub, Barren/Eroded, and Nonforested Wetlands. Overall image classification accuracy was 87%. Results of land cover change analysis show that all major land cover types experienced substantial changes from 1990 to 2010. The area percent change was _39.7, _22.7, 87.4, and _7.0 for Agriculture, Forest/Dense Vegetation, Shrub, and Barren/Eroded. Landscape pattern analysis illustrated the encroachment of Shrub cover in core Forest/DV patches and the decline of Agricultural patch integrity. Agricultural abandonment, deforestation, and forest regrowth combined to generate a dynamic island landscape, resulting in higher levels of land cover fragmentation.
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    The Status of Diurnal Raptor Populations on La Gonâve, Haiti
    White, Justin H.; Kennedy, Lisa M.; Kimsey, Mary B. (2019-11-01)
    La Gonâve, Haiti, is the largest Hispaniolan satellite island, yet it is rarely visited by birders. We searched for diurnal raptors on La Gonâve for seven days between 9 May and 1 June 2012. We observed American Kestrels (Falco sparverius), Redtailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), and Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura), including evidence of active nesting attempts by American Kestrels and Red-tailed Hawks. We present a brief historical review of Haitian raptors and species records from La Gonâve. The island’s habitats are currently suitable for these common generalist species, but less so for more specialized species.