Combined Uses of Supervised Classification and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index Techniques to Monitor Land Degradation in the Saloum Saline Estuary System - The Land/Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone of West and Central Africa - page 60

Fig. 8 Evolution of the
Sangomar sand spit between
1984 and 2010

salinization and acidification of soils have led to a gradual
degradation, transformation, and disappearance of the
mangrove to tan, and the most affected areas are located
from the mid-to-upstream parts of the Saloum River
(Figs. 3 , 4 and 5 ). In addition to that, the Sangomar spit

break which occured in 1987 (Diaw et al. 1991 ; Dieye et al.
2013 ) may contribute to the significant changes downstream
(mangroves, land loss) since opening of the spit channel
(4.96 km currently) favored direct hydraulic connection
between the sea and the Saloum River (Fig. 8 ).