Spatial assessment of forest cover and land-use changes in the Hindu-Kush mountain ranges of northern Pakistan |
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| Authors: | Sami Ullah Muhammad Farooq Muhammad Shafique Muhammad Afra Siyab Fazli Kareem Matthias Dees |
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| Institution: | 1.Chair of Remote Sensing and Landscape Information System, Institute of Forest Sciences, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources,University of Freiburg,Freiburg,Germany;2.Pakistan Space and Upper Atmospheric Research Commission (SUPARCO), Hayatabad,Peshawar,Pakistan;3.National Centre of Excellence in Geology,University of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,Peshawar,Pakistan;4.Office of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF),Islamabad,Pakistan;5.Department of Forestry,Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University,Sheringal, Dir Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,Pakistan |
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| Abstract: | Anthropogenic activities and natural processes are continuously altering the mountainous environment through deforestation, forest degradation and other land-use changes. It is highly important to assess, monitor and forecast forest cover and other land-use changes for the protection and conservation of mountainous environment. The present study deals with the assessment of forest cover and other land-use changes in the mountain ranges of Dir Kohistan in northern Pakistan, using high resolution multi-temporal SPOT-5 satellite images. The SPOT-5 satellite images of years 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013 were acquired and classified into land-cover units. In addition, forest cover and land-use change detection map was developed using the classified maps of 2004 and 2013. The classified maps were verified through random field samples and Google Earth imagery (Quick birds and SPOT-5). The results showed that during the period 2004 to 2013 the area of forest land decreased by 6.4%, however, area of range land and agriculture land have increased by 22.1% and 2.9%, respectively. Similarly, barren land increased by 1.1%, whereas, area of snow cover/glacier is significantly decreased by 21.3%. The findings from the study will be useful for forestry and landscape planning and can be utilized by the local, provincial and national forest departments; and REDD+ policy makers in Pakistan. |
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