Incluye glosario.

Incluye bibliografía

Preface and acknowledgments -- Authors and contributors -- Acronyms and abbreviations -- Pt. 1. Application of remote sensing for woody biomass assessment and mapping: 1. Introduction and background -- 2. Using meteorological satellite data for vegetation and land use mapping -- 3. Mapping of land cover class -- 4. Woody biomass assessment -- 5. Description of biomass classes -- 6. Regional summaries by class of biomass -- 7. Conclusions and future directions -- References -- Pt. 2. Regional distribution of land cover classes: 8. The West African Sahel / Richard W. Critchley -- 9.The West African Coast / Andrew C. Millington -- 10. The Horn of Africa / John Kirkby -- 11. Central Africa / Terry D. Douglas -- 12. East Africa / Phil O'Keefe, Ian Ryle, and John Kirkby -- 13. Southern Africa / Roger Bevan -- Glossary -- Index of botanical names -- Index of place names -- Figures -- Tables -- Maps

Woodfuels play a dominant role in energy balance of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, and shortages of woodfuel exist - or are perceived to exist - in many areas. This volume describes a first attempt to map the varied vegetation and types of land cover in Sub-Saharan Africa and to assess the growing stock and sustainable yield of woody biomass. It is the result of a project undertaken by the Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (ESMAP) to address the lack of data on energy resources for most African countries. This information is essential for calculating energy balances. The work ' s usefulness, however, goes far beyond questions of energy sufficiency. Appropriate management of Africa ' s biological resources, to which it is hoped this work will contribute, will help maintain and perhaps enhance environmental quality on the continent. Moreover, the extent of worldwide forest cover has come to be recognized as a critical variable in predicting global climate change. Together these considerations make the assessment of existing wood resources in Africa a timely intervention. This study includes: a discussion on meteorological satellite data for vegetation and land use mapping; a description of the processes used in classifying and mapping land cover classes; a woody biomass assessment; a description of biomass classes; and finally, regional summaries by class of biomass.