Assessing Land-use Land-cover Dynamics (1990-2030) in Pathri Reserve Forest using Geospatial Technology

Akhlaq Amin Wani; Arijit Roy; P. K. Dorothy; Seema Joshi; Aasif A. Gatoo; M. A. Islam; Amarjeet Singh; Amir F. Bhat; Shah Murtaza

doi:10.36808/if/2018/v144i7/130922

Assessing Land-use Land-cover Dynamics (1990-2030) in Pathri Reserve Forest using Geospatial Technology

Authors

Akhlaq Amin Wani Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Benhama-Watlaar, Ganderbal, Jammu and Kashmir
Arijit Roy Forestry and Ecology Department, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, 4, Kalidas Road Dehradun Uttarakhand-248001
P. K. Dorothy Biotechnology Department GITAM University Gandhi Nagar, Rushikonda, Vishakapatnam Hyderabad Andra Pradesh 530045
Seema Joshi DGIS/MISO/ASO, DGIS Enclave, Rao Tula Ram Marg, Ministry of Defense, Government of India, New Delhi- 110010
Aasif A. Gatoo Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Benhama-Watlaar, Ganderbal, Jammu and Kashmir
M. A. Islam Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Benhama-Watlaar, Ganderbal, Jammu and Kashmir
Amarjeet Singh Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Benhama-Watlaar, Ganderbal, Jammu and Kashmir
Amir F. Bhat Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Benhama-Watlaar, Ganderbal, Jammu and Kashmir
Shah Murtaza Climate Change Center, Department of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing, SDA Colony, Bemina, Srinagar, J & K

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36808/if/2018/v144i7/130922

Keywords:

Pathri Reserve Forest, Land Use Land Cover, Geospatial Technology, Markov Modeling.

Abstract

Forests being a dynamic feature are prone to changes which may be either positive or negative. The present study has been taken to monitor Land use land cover (LULC) dynamics in Pathri reserve forest over the past three decades (1990, 2000 and 2010), before and after de-reserving some part of this forest in view of the rehabilitation of Tehri dam evacuees. Landsat TM data has been used to generate maps on 1:50000 scale using visual interpretation. The three time period forest vector layers were used for predicting the forest cover for the periods 2010 and 2030 using Cellular Automata (CA) Markov model. The analysis reveals that out of 17.31km² in 1990, only 2.62 km² of area was left as dense forest in 2010, while the remaining area was degraded to open forest and scrub. About 13 km² area of water bodies and wetlands in the study area reduced to 3.4 km² in two decades indicates demand for intensification of agricultural besides the pressure for fuel wood collection and uncontrolled grazing. This loss of forest over the decades can be attributed to the Rehabilitation Policy, 1998 of the Government of Uttarakhand to resettle the Tehri dam evacuees and relocation of Gujjars, a nomadic community to an 8 km² patch at Pathri rehabilitation site. Human interventions as well as signs of disturbance such as lopped off trees, presence of invasive species such as Ipomea spp. and Clerodendron spp. could be the causative factors. From the present LULC dynamics and projection for 2030, it is evident that the Pathri reserve forest continues to be under pressure from anthropogenic activities.

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