Use of aerial and space borne data as the paradigm shift of orthodox forest monitoring techniques – 60 year forest change trend analysis. | [Biologia • 2015]

Author(s):

1. Urooj Saeed: GIS laboratory, WWF –P, P.O. Box. 5180, Lahore, Pakistan;Geomatics Program, Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

2. Naeem Shahzad: GIS laboratory, WWF –P, P.O. Box. 5180, Lahore, Pakistan;Geomatics Program, Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

3. Syed Muhammad Irteza: GIS laboratory, WWF –P, P.O. Box. 5180, Lahore, Pakistan

4. Sajid Rashid Ahmad: Geomatics Program, Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

5. Abdul Aleem Chaudhry: Forests Department, Punjab, Pakistan

6. Irfan Ashraf: GIS laboratory, WWF –P, P.O. Box. 5180, Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract:

The craving for spatial information of the subtropical forests and moist temperate coniferous forests is ever increasing, as such information provides a strong base for the resource management at local, regional and global level. Use of images at various time frames, makes it extremely interesting to develop monitoring systems capable of automatically producing and regularly updating forest-cover maps. This study evaluates the status of forest cover from 1952 to 2011 using high resolution scanned aerial photographs, Keyhole data and SPOT images of Murree Forest Division (MFD), Pakistan. The study area is one of the best examples of mapping the subtropical forest of the country. For the forest cover change assessments, an object oriented segmentation approach has been adopted at different modules and levels which were evaluated using aerial photographs and multi-temporal images. High resolution aerial photographs taken in 1952 were acquired due to non-availability of satellite images. The study shows a decreasing trend in the forested land of the MFD which comprises of both state managed forest and community managed forests. An overall decrease of 9% of the forest was observed. The maximum decrease was between 2005 and 2011 which is about 4%. Annual deforestation rate from 1952 to 2011 is about 84.4 ha (0.4 %) per year. An overall accuracy of 88.71% was achieved with a Kappa coefficient of 0.8751. The decrease in the forest cover is mainly due to encroachment and forest cutting in both the state managed and community managed forest land.

Page(s): 203-210

DOI: DOI not available

Published: Journal: Biologia, Volume: 61, Issue: 2, Year: 2015

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