Long-Term Land Cover Changes in the Western Part of the Korean Demilitarized Zone

After the Korean War, human access to the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was highly restricted. However, limited agricultural activity was allowed in the Civilian Control Zone (CCZ) surrounding the DMZ. In this study, land cover and vegetation changes in the western DMZ and CCZ from 1919 to 2017 were investigated. Coniferous forests were nearly completely destroyed during the war and were then converted to deciduous forests by ecological succession. Plains in the DMZ and CCZ areas showed different patterns of land cover changes. In the DMZ, pre-war rice paddies were gradually transformed into grasslands. These grasslands have not returned to forest, and this may be explained by wildfires set for military purposes or hydrological fluctuations in floodplains. Grasslands near the floodplains in the DMZ are highly valued for conservation as a rare land type. Most grasslands in the CCZ were converted back to rice paddies, consistent with their previous use. After the 1990s, ginseng cultivation in the CCZ increased. In addition, the landscape changes in the Korean DMZ and CCZ were affected by political circumstances between South and North Korea. Our results provide baseline information for the development of ecosystem management and conservation plans for the Korean DMZ and CCZ. Given the high biodiversity and ecological integrity of the Korean DMZ region, transboundary governance for conservation should be designed.

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Wintering Habitat Use Pattern of Red-Crowned Cranes in the Korean Demilitarized Zone

Journal of Open Innovation Technology Market and Complexity ◽

10.3390/joitmc4040058 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 58 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sang-Don Lee

Keyword(s):

Land Cover ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Surface Area ◽

Rice Paddies ◽

Night Time ◽

Grus Japonensis ◽

Demilitarized Zone ◽

Random Expectation ◽

Wintering Habitat ◽

Use Pattern

The study was the first attempt to identify the habitat use pattern of red-crowned cranes (Grus japonensis) around the demilitarized zone (DMZ) by overlapping coordinates with the land cover classification (LCC). Daily habitat use pattern was highly different (P = 0.000) between daytime (06:00–18:00) and nighttime (18:00–06:00). Cranes in Cheolwon used agricultural paddies more frequently in the daytime (P = 0.002), and forest areas at night and this indicated that cranes presumably use rice paddies for feeding and forests for resting, respectively. Cranes night time in Paju used wetlands more often than random expectation based on the available wetland surface area (P = 0.017). This indicated a different habitat use pattern between coastal (Paju) and inland (Cheolwon) areas. Securing agricultural paddies is important for providing crucial areas for feeding, and forests should be important for rest during the night time in Cheolwon, which support crane populations during their wintering migration in Korea.

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ASSESSMENT OF LAND COVER CHANGES DUE TO ANTHROPOGENIC CAUSES IN THE MOUNTAINOUS AREA OF ISHKOMAN WATERSHED, GILGIT, PAKISTAN

Series II - Forestry • Wood Industry • Agricultural Food Engineering ◽

10.31926/but.fwiafe.2021.14.63.1.3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14(63) (1) ◽

pp. 25-46

Author(s):

Komal NABI ◽

Karamat ALI ◽

Muhammad Irfan ASHRAF ◽

Areeba Binte IMRAN ◽

Naveed AHMAD

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Land Use ◽

Land Cover ◽

Temporal Changes ◽

Population Increase ◽

Land Cover Changes ◽

Land Use Land Cover ◽

Community Perception ◽

Land Type ◽

Land Use Dynamics

Remote Sensing (RS) provides the best ways to monitor temporal changes and to understand land use dynamics. Remote sensing analysis can be further enhanced when community perception regarding major drivers of change is integrated. The present study was an attempt to assess the land use land cover changes in the Ishkoman watershed in the Ghizer district. The study explored Landsat-5 and Landsat-8 images to assess the LULC dynamics from 1998 to 2018, and also used questionnaires for community perception regarding LULC changes in the past two decades. Supervised classification was used to monitor changes between 1998 and 2018 and the maximum likelihood technique was used to categorize the pixels into six classes: vegetation/forest area, bare rocks, water bodies, glaciers/snow area, rivers, water, and agriculture. Regarding the questionnaires, the correlation matrix and regression models were developed between independent variables (population, land type cleared, and extra land required for new family members) and dependent variables (land use dynamics factors and socio-economic variables). The results showed that all six land cover classes have shown temporal changes between 1998-2018 and the most significant change was observed in forests and pastures (which decreased from 18.7% to 5.9 %). Similarly, glaciers, water, rivers, and agriculture have changed from 13.1, 6.5, 9.3, 1.5 to 15.8, 4.0, 11.32, 3.1, respectively between 1998-2018. The largest change was observed in bare rocks which increased from 50.2 % to 60.06%. Moreover, temporal NDVI analysis showed a decrease in vegetation cover (conversion to bare rocks) between 1998-2018. The questionnaire results revealed that the highest correlation was shown between population increase and decrease in crop production (R2 = -0.348), whereas the lowest correlation was found in population increase and population access to bus stops (R2 = -0.167). Similarly, the highest correlation was found between access to roads and markets (R2 = 0.349) and dependent variable (land type cleared), whereas the lowest correlobserved in access to water resources (R2 = -0.021). The study concluded that land use land cover has been significantly changed from 1998 to 2018 in the Ishkoman Watershed. The study suggested more in-depth research to examine land use land cover changes at finer scales by using high resolution satellite imagery, and conducting details surveys regarding the underlying anthropogenic causes of land use dynamics.

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Land-cover change in the department of Vichada, Colombia, from 1985 to 2017

Revista de Investigación Agraria y Ambiental ◽

10.22490/21456453.4630 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 149-174

Author(s):

Juan Vitar ◽

Karen X. Sandoval Parra ◽

Martha L. Ortiz Moreno

Keyword(s):

Land Cover ◽

River Basin ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Ecological Integrity ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

The United States ◽

Land Cover Changes ◽

Economic Policies ◽

Gis Analysis ◽

Remote Sensor

Contextualization: Colombia has experienced multiple land-cover changes derived from socio-economic policies that have reduced the high biodiversity of the country. Knowledge gap: In the Orinoquía region, the pressure to expand the agricultural frontier is increasing, without considering the importance of its natural resources. Purpose: This paper aimed to analyze the land-cover variations associated with agricultural practices, in the department of Vichada, with a special interest in vulnerable ecosystems, such as the Bita’s river basin, using Geographic Information System [GIS] analysis of historical images taken by a remote sensor from the United States Geological Service [USGS] Earth Explorer portal. Methodology: Documental review and an analysis of satellite images from 1985 to 2017. Results and conclusions: The results showed that in Vichada, during a 32-year period, there was a transition from forest to cropland and pastures, in which 60% of the forest cover got lost. Moreover, areas of natural savannas were also replaced with pastures for livestock production. These land-cover changes were associated with government policies that fomented illegal occupation of land, monocultures, and non-native plantation forests. Bita’s river basin also lost a significant part of forest cover because of agribusiness development in the municipality of Puerto Carreño (Vichada). These land-cover changes have an impact on the ecological integrity of significant ecosystems and in their functionality in the region, that is why, conservation measures must be implemented.

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The recent avifauna of the central and eastern Civilian Control Zone near the Demilitarized Zone in Republic of Korea

Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity ◽

10.1016/j.japb.2016.02.004 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 166-179

Author(s):

Seunghwa Yoo ◽

Dongwon Kim ◽

Youngmin Moon ◽

Jeongyeon Yi ◽

Taebong Choi

Keyword(s):

Republic Of Korea ◽

Civilian Control ◽

Control Zone ◽

Demilitarized Zone

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Spatial Pattern and Factor Analyses for Forest Sustainable Development Goals within South Korea’s Civilian Control Zone

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10103500 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 3500 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jinwoo Park ◽

Jungsoo Lee

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Forest Management ◽

Land Cover ◽

Sustainable Development Goals ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Civilian Control ◽

Forest Change ◽

Hotspot Analysis ◽

Control Zone ◽

Development Goals

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer specific guidelines for improving sustainable forest management, especially Goal 15. Goal 15 protects, restores and promotes the sustainable use of land ecosystems, manages forests sustainably, prevents was against desertification, stops and reverses land degradation and prevents biodiversity loss. The Civilian Control Zone (CCZ) south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea has functioned as a unique biological preserve due to traditional restrictions on human use but is now increasingly threatened by deforestation and development. We used hot spot analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze spatial patterns of forest land use and land cover (LULC) change and variables influencing these changes, within the CCZ. Remote sensing imagery was used to develop land cover classification maps (2010 and 2016) and a GIS database was established for three change factors (topography, accessibility and socioeconomic characteristics). As a result of Hotspot analysis, Hotspots of change were distributed mainly due to agricultural activities and the development of forest and expansion of villages. Subsequent factor analysis revealed that accessibility had greater influence (−0.635) than the other factors. Among the direct factors, change to bare land had the greatest impact (−0.574) on forest change. These results shed light on forest change patterns and causes in the CCZ and provide practical data for efficient forest management in this area with regards to the SDGs.

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