The Nature, Causes and Extent of Land cover Changes in Gamtoos River Estuary, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa: 1991–2017
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The manuscript by Ndude et al. describes the changes of vegetation in Gamtoos River Estuary, Eastern Cape province, South Africa, and using of land in agriculture of this region. The topic of the research can be interesting for estimation of region development. However, I have some comments:
- Main idea (hypothesis) of this work requires more clear formulation and more extend description in Introduction.
- The introduction contains rather simple enumeration, it should include more descriptions of specific problems.
- Authors should describe the relation between land cover and water dynamic in estuaries in introduction.
- The captions of figures should be extended; all details should be explained. Currently captions are uninformative. Letter designations should be added.
- “Materials and methods” should be shortened. Methods should be described more concrete. Besides part of description of methods were described in other sections of manuscript (not in “Materials and methods”).
- In Table 1 spectral bands B1, B2, B3 should be clarified.
- The Table 2 should be clarified and described in detail.
- What are values shown in Table 3? Averaged values or sums?
- What does regressions in Figure 4 show?
- Figure 4a duplicates Table 4. Duplication is not optimal; it should be corrected.
- Figure 4b duplicates AAR in Table 3. Duplication is not optimal; it should be corrected.
- What were data used in Table 5? What is the difference between the top and bottom of the table? The data in Table 5 should be clarified.
- Part of results ‘were substantiated by sea level; however, the sea level did not analyse. Potential relations between results by authors and the sea level should be discussed in more details.
- Authors describe social and economics problems of investigated region in too details. I suppose that this description of social and economics problems is not optimal for scientific work (excluding works devoted to these problems). It should be shortened.
Author Response
Please see the attachment
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
Improve and frame study área. The image is a bit confusing
Review the wording. You can not put after and a point
In the area of study include geology (lithology and geomorphology) and soils.
Fig. 3 include scale
The co Improve and frame study área. The image is a bit confusing
Review the wording. You can not put after and a point
In the area of study include geology (lithology and geomorphology) and soils.
Fig. 3 include scale
The conclusions are correct although it seems more like a list of good intentions
In bibliography include the DOI of some journals: example:
Line 450
Line 509
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Author Response
Please see the attachment
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
The manuscript was significantly improved. I don't additional questions.
