Berhan, Gessesse (2007) Forest Cover Change and Susceptibility to Forest Degradation Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques: A Case of Dendi District, West Central Ethiopia. Masters thesis, Addis Ababa University.
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Abstract
At present, an excessive and destructive exploitation of forest resources is a threat that exists at Dendi District. The principal aims of this study is to detect the magnitude and rate of forest cover change over the last 27 years (between 1973 and 2000) and generate susceptibility to forest degradation map using Remote sensing and GIS techniques in Dendi District. NDVI image differencing and post-classification comparison Change detection methods were employed. The result of change detection analysis revealed that the area has shown a remarkable land cover/land use changes in general and forest cover Change in particular. Specifically, the forest cover land declined from 26,363 ha in 1973 to 25,020.4 ha in 1984 and dropped to 7,629.38 ha in the year 2000 in the District. A significant forest cover reduction by about 71.06% has been realized in the study area in the year 2000 when compared with the 1973 forest cover condition with a deforestation rate of 693.84 ha per annum. More over, with respect to slope and elevation, the amount of forest cover change process is so significant along with areas having a gradient of less than 250 and elevation values of bellow 2,550 m. In addition to this, susceptibility to forest degradation was done by considering factors such as town Proximity, road Proximity, cultivated land proximity, slope gradient and elevation value. In the mean time, three level of susceptibility to forest degradation compartment map was generated with the support of GIS technology. Based on the forest cover areas of the year 2000 (7,629. 38 ha) of Dendi District, about 1,543.52 ha, 4,402 .4 ha and 1,683.46 ha of forest cover land are categorized under low, moderately, and highly susceptible to degradation respectively. The problem of forest cover change is directly linked with the activity of man such as population pressure, and the socio-economic factors like expansion of agricultural activities, demand of fuel wood and constructional materials as well as using this resource as income generating menses were identified as causes for forest cover change at the study area. Besides, due to the problem of forest cover change; land degradation in the form of soil erosion, runoff and flooding, as well as declining of biodiversity seems to have reached a critical stage due to the problem of forest cover change. In order to hold back the problem of forest cover change and its impact, corrective measures had been suggested which can be implemented both in the short term and long term phase.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > G Geography (General) G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences Q Science > QE Geology S Agriculture > SD Forestry |
| Divisions: | Africana |
| Depositing User: | Selom Ghislain |
| Date Deposited: | 18 Sep 2018 09:14 |
| Last Modified: | 18 Sep 2018 09:14 |
| URI: | http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/5271 |
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