Authors
Berhan Gessesse Awoke
Publication date
2010
Journal
J Sustain Dev Afr
Volume
12
Issue
6
Pages
9-33
Description
This study outlines the magnitude, rate and patterns of forest cover change over a period of 32 years using remotely sensed datasets with field work validation and integrated approaches of Remote sensing and GIS tools. Forest cover change detection is carried out based on the analysis of multi-temporal Landsat images using NDVI and Post-Classification Change Detection Algorithms. The result of the study revealed that a remarkable spatio-temporal variability of forest cover land is investigated in the district between the year 1973 and 2005. Forest cover land reduction by 80.15% has been observed in the year 2005 as compared with the 1973 forest cover condition with a deforestation rate of 660.33 ha per year. Moreover, the amount of forest cover change process is very significant along with areas having a gradient of less than 250 and elevation values of below 2,550 m. Population pressure with related socio-economic factors like expansion of agricultural lands, demand of fuel wood and constructional materials are the major causes of forest cover change. Consequently, land degradation in the form of soil erosion, and declining of biodiversity seems to have reached a critical stage attributed through forest cover change process in the study site. In the light of this, the writer suggested corrective measures in harness with the problem of forest cover change and its environmental implication.
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