scholarly journals Uncertainty in Historical Land-Use Reconstructions with Topographic Maps

2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 55-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik Kaim ◽  
Jacek Kozak ◽  
Krzysztof Ostafin ◽  
Monika Dobosz ◽  
Katarzyna Ostapowicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Reliability Assessment ◽  
Swiss Alps ◽  
Topographic Maps ◽  
Forest Cover Change ◽  
Change Analysis ◽  
Polish Carpathians ◽  
Historical Land Use

Abstract The paper presents the outcomes of the uncertainty investigation of a long-term forest cover change analysis in the Polish Carpathians (nearly 20,000 km2) and Swiss Alps (nearly 10,000 km2) based on topographic maps. Following Leyk et al. (2005) all possible uncertainties are grouped into three domains - production-oriented, transformation- oriented and application-oriented. We show typical examples for each uncertainty domain, encountered during the forest cover change analysis and discuss consequences for change detection. Finally, a proposal for reliability assessment is presented.

scholarly journals A Century of Forest Regrowth and Snow Loss Alters the Cooling Effect of Historical Land Use in the Upper Midwest

Ecosystems ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 1056-1074
Author(s):  
Bethany J. Blakely ◽  
Adrian V. Rocha ◽  
Jason S. McLachalan
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Snow Cover ◽  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Cooling Effect ◽  
Forest Regrowth ◽  
Historical Land Use ◽  
Over Time

AbstractAnthropogenic land use affects climate by altering the energy balance of the Earth’s surface. In temperate regions, cooling from increased albedo is a common result of historical land-use change. However, this albedo cooling effect is dependent mainly on the exposure of snow cover following forest canopy removal and may change over time due to simultaneous changes in both land cover and snow cover. In this paper, we combine modern remote sensing data and historical records, incorporating over 100 years of realized land use and climatic change into an empirical assessment of centennial-scale surface forcings in the Upper Midwestern USA. We show that, although increases in surface albedo cooled through strong negative shortwave forcings, those forcings were reduced over time by a combination of forest regrowth and snow-cover loss. Deforestation cooled strongly (− 5.3 Wm−2) and mainly in winter, while composition shift cooled less strongly (− 3.03 Wm−2) and mainly in summer. Combined, changes in albedo due to deforestation, shifts in species composition, and the return of historical forest cover resulted in − 2.81 Wm−2 of regional radiative cooling, 55% less than full deforestation. Forcings due to changing vegetation were further reduced by 0.32 Wm−2 of warming from a shortened snow-covered season and a thinning of seasonal snowpack. Our findings suggest that accounting for long-term changes in land cover and snow cover reduces the estimated cooling impact of deforestation, with implications for long-term land-use planning.

scholarly journals Zmienność przepływów niżówkowych w wybranych zlewniach pogórskich i beskidzkich w latach 1988‑2017 = Variability of low flow in Polish Carpathians (foothills and Beskidy Mountains) catchments in the period 1988‑2017

2021 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-25
Author(s):  
Witold Bochenek ◽  
Małgorzata Kijowska-Strugała
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
Soil Permeability ◽  
Low Flows ◽  
Polish Carpathians ◽  
Continental Climate

Water flow in the Polish Carpathians was exemplified by long-term (1988‑2017) analysis of two foothill catchments (of the Skawinka and Stobnica) and two catchments in the Beskidy Mountains (of the Soła and Osława). The work allowed for the determination of the duration of low flows and outflow deficits in relation to changes in thermal and precipitation conditions, as well as land use and land cover. In the selected catchments, the 30-year period brought a decrease in the area of arable land and an increase in the area of grassland and forest. In addition built-up areas increased by 495% between 1990 and 2018. A greater susceptibility to the occurrence of total drought was noted for the Beskidy Mountains catchments, in which the duration of low flows and outflow deficit was greater than in the foothill catchments. At the same time, the mountain catchments proved less susceptible to the emergence of deep drought, on account of their higher levels of forest cover and levels of soil permeability. In regional terms, the durations of low flows and outflow deficits were greater in the catchments located in the eastern part of the Carpathians (those of the Stobnica and Osława), in line with this area’s intensified features of a continental climate.

scholarly journals Shedding New Light on Mountainous Forest Growth: A Cross-Scale Evaluation of the Effects of Topographic Illumination Correction on 25 Years of Forest Cover Change across Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2131
Author(s):  
Jamon Van Den Hoek ◽  
Alexander C. Smith ◽  
Kaspar Hurni ◽  
Sumeet Saksena ◽  
Jefferson Fox
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Classification Accuracy ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Forest Growth ◽  
Forest Cover Change ◽  
Scale Evaluation ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Affect Detection

Accurate remote sensing of mountainous forest cover change is important for myriad social and ecological reasons, but is challenged by topographic and illumination conditions that can affect detection of forests. Several topographic illumination correction (TIC) approaches have been developed to mitigate these effects, but existing research has focused mostly on whether TIC improves forest cover classification accuracy and has usually found only marginal gains. However, the beneficial effects of TIC may go well beyond accuracy since TIC promises to improve detection of low illuminated forest cover and thereby normalize measurements of the amount, geographic distribution, and rate of forest cover change regardless of illumination. To assess the effects of TIC on the extent and geographic distribution of forest cover change, in addition to classification accuracy, we mapped forest cover across mountainous Nepal using a 25-year (1992–2016) gap-filled Landsat time series in two ways—with and without TIC (i.e., nonTIC)—and classified annual forest cover using a Random Forest classifier. We found that TIC modestly increased classifier accuracy and produced more conservative estimates of net forest cover change across Nepal (−5.2% from 1992–2016) TIC. TIC also resulted in a more even distribution of forest cover gain across Nepal with 3–5% more net gain and 4–6% more regenerated forest in the least illuminated regions. These results show that TIC helped to normalize forest cover change across varying illumination conditions with particular benefits for detecting mountainous forest cover gain. We encourage the use of TIC for satellite remote sensing detection of long-term mountainous forest cover change.

scholarly journals Qualifying Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics and Their Impacts on Ecosystem Service in Central Himalaya Transboundary Landscape Based on Google Earth Engine

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 173
Author(s):  
Changjun Gu ◽  
Yili Zhang ◽  
Linshan Liu ◽  
Lanhui Li ◽  
Shicheng Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Forest Cover Change ◽  
Sacred Landscape ◽  
Lulc Changes ◽  
Google Earth Engine

Land use and land cover (LULC) changes are regarded as one of the key drivers of ecosystem services degradation, especially in mountain regions where they may provide various ecosystem services to local livelihoods and surrounding areas. Additionally, ecosystems and habitats extend across political boundaries, causing more difficulties for ecosystem conservation. LULC in the Kailash Sacred Landscape (KSL) has undergone obvious changes over the past four decades; however, the spatiotemporal changes of the LULC across the whole of the KSL are still unclear, as well as the effects of LULC changes on ecosystem service values (ESVs). Thus, in this study we analyzed LULC changes across the whole of the KSL between 2000 and 2015 using Google Earth Engine (GEE) and quantified their impacts on ESVs. The greatest loss in LULC was found in forest cover, which decreased from 5443.20 km2 in 2000 to 5003.37 km2 in 2015 and which mainly occurred in KSL-Nepal. Meanwhile, the largest growth was observed in grassland (increased by 548.46 km2), followed by cropland (increased by 346.90 km2), both of which mainly occurred in KSL-Nepal. Further analysis showed that the expansions of cropland were the major drivers of the forest cover change in the KSL. Furthermore, the conversion of cropland to shrub land indicated that farmland abandonment existed in the KSL during the study period. The observed forest degradation directly influenced the ESV changes in the KSL. The total ESVs in the KSL decreased from 36.53 × 108 USD y−1 in 2000 to 35.35 × 108 USD y−1 in 2015. Meanwhile, the ESVs of the forestry areas decreased by 1.34 × 108 USD y−1. This shows that the decrease of ESVs in forestry was the primary cause to the loss of total ESVs and also of the high elasticity. Our findings show that even small changes to the LULC, especially in forestry areas, are noteworthy as they could induce a strong ESV response.

Opportunities for Reaping the Benefits of REDD+ in Sikkim Himalaya for Conservation and Enhancement of Carbon Stock

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-215
Author(s):  
Mohommad Shahid ◽  
◽  
L.K. Rai ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Forest Cover Change ◽  
Change Analysis ◽  
Carbon Sequestration Potential ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Article 5

Paris Agreement recognized the role of forests as carbon sink for mitigation of climate change, under Article 5 as REDD+, i.e., reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. Forest cover change analysis was done between two time periods 2005 and 2015 to assess the forest degradation. Carbon sequestration potential of the forests of Sikkim for mitigating climate change is also estimated. Benefits of implementing of REDD+ in Sikkim involving local communities as stakeholder to conserve and sustainably manage the forest is assessed. Gaps and challenges faced by the stakeholder in implementing REDD+ at project level are also highlighted.

Sustainable Management of Bannerghatta National Park, India, with the Insights in Land Cover Dynamics

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. V. Ramachandra ◽  
Bharath Setturu
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
National Park ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Buffer Zone ◽  
Change Analysis ◽  
Rapid Economic Growth

The ecosystem of health and natural resource management is influenced by the social, political, economic system and institutional framework in a region. Rapid economic growth in Bangalore and its environs in recent decades has resulted in environmental changes in Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) and its buffer (of 5 km). Land use land cover (LULC) change analysis with a modelling technique such as cellular automata (CA)-Markov was used for quantitatively exploring forest cover transitions. The analysis of LULC dynamics has revealed loss of vegetation cover from 85.78 per cent to 66.37 per cent (1973–2015) and severe environmental stress. The region has lost moist deciduous cover, from 26.1 per cent to 13.8 per cent, and witnessed an increase in horticulture, from 8.5 per cent to 11 per cent (1973–2015). The visualization of likely land use in 2027 indicates the loss of forest cover from 41.38 per cent to 35.59 per cent with an increase in urban area from 4.49 per cent to 9.62 per cent (with new residential and commercial layouts in the buffer zone of BNP in violation of the eco-sensitive zone norms as per Section 5(1) of Environment Protection Act 1986). The study provides insights for developing an appropriate planning framework towards conservation and the sustainable management of ecologically sensitive national parks.

scholarly journals Mapping Mangrove Forest Change in Nijhum Dwip Island

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 217-225
Author(s):  
MM Rahman ◽  
MAT Pramanik ◽  
MI Islam ◽  
S Razia
Keyword(s):  
Mangrove Forest ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Storm Surges ◽  
Forest Loss ◽  
Forest Conversion ◽  
Forest Cover Change ◽  
Forest Change ◽  
Change Analysis ◽  
Coastal Belt ◽  
Land Covers

Mangroves have been planting in the coastal belt of Bangladesh to protect the inhabitants of the coastal areas from cyclones and storm surges. Nijhum Dwip is located at the southern part of Hatiya Island. Most part of the island has been planted with the mangroves in the 1970s and 1980s; while parts of the mangroves have been deforested during the past few decades. The objectives of this research were to delineate and quantify the changes in the extent of mangroves in the island. The Landsat data of 1989, 2001, 2010 and 2018 have been utilized in the study. Three major land covers, namely forest, water and other land have been interpreted and delineated by using on-screen digitizing. The quantity of mangrove forest loss in the island is estimated as 1,024 ha, while 395 ha were afforested during 1989-2018. In the decadal change analysis, it was revealed that net forest cover change was higher in 2000s compared to other two decades and it was -425 ha. The result of the study is helpful to understand the extent and pattern of forest conversion in the island and to halt further forest loss and conserve the remaining forest. J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 11(1-2): 217-225 2018

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