Quantitative Assessment of Forest Cover Change of a Part of Bandarban Hill Tracts Using NDVI Techniques

Biswajit Nath^1,

¹Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh

Cite this paper:
Biswajit Nath. Quantitative Assessment of Forest Cover Change of a Part of Bandarban Hill Tracts Using NDVI Techniques. Journal of Geosciences and Geomatics. 2014; 2(1):21-27. doi: 10.12691/jgg-2-1-4

Abstract

Bandarban Hill Tracts is facing grave environmental problems with fast depletion of its natural resources which is ultimately threatening the existence of forest cover. Monitoring the change of forest cover using multi temporal Landsat TM data (i.e. 1989, 2001 and 2010) for the Part of Bandarban Hill Tracts and exact evaluation of anthropogenic intervention on the natural environment can be assessed. Present research is focusing on along the middle course of Matamuhuri River’s adjoining areas. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) technique was applied to quantify the forest cover changes of these regions from 1989-2010. Three different time periods NDVI maps were generated and quantitative data were classified using ERDAS Imagine and ArcGIS software respectively. Finally NDVI derived maps of 1989 and 2010 were crossed to generate overall change detection map. The study reveals that forest cover of this region has changed significantly during 1989-2010 due to natural and different anthropogenic activities (i.e. hill erosion, illegal forest cutting, jhum cultivation, forest fire, tobacco farming, etc.). Out of the total area of 16852.32 hectare, the decreased category shows 15.47%, followed by some decrease 29.55%. The area needs special protection because forest cover is decreasing and some decreasing at the rate of 0.74% and 1.41% per year respectively.

Keywords:
quantitative assessment forest cover change NDVI Bandarban Hill Tracts

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Figures

References:

[1]	Campbell, J. B., Introduction to Remote Sensing, The Guilford Press, New York, 1987.
[2]	Chuvieco, E., “ El factor temporal enteledeteccio´n: evolutio´n fenomenolo´gica y ana´lisis de cambio, Revista de Teledeteccio´n, 10. 1-9. 1998.
[3]	Demgiz, Orhan., Tugrul, Yakupoglu., and Oguz, Baskar., “Soil erosion assessment using geographical information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) study from Ankara-Guvenc Basin, Turkey,” J. Environ. Biol., 30. 339-344. 2009.
[4]	Hoffer, R. M., Biological and Physical considerations in Applying Computer-aided analysis techniques to Remote sensor data, In Remote Sensing: The quantitative approach, edited by P. H. Swam and S.M. Davis Mc Graw-Hill.; U.S.A., 1978.
[5]	Islam, M. S., Tapan, M. Z., and Nayan, T. B., FACT SHEET: Tobacco Farming Impact from Peoples’ Perspective; Unnayan Dhara, Jhenaidah, Bangladesh, 2010.
[6]	Lillesand., T. M., and Keifer, R. W., Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation; John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1979, 1994 and 2000.
[7]	Macleod, R.D., and Congalton, R.G.A., “Quantitative Comparison of Change detection Algorithms for Monitoring Eelgrass from Remote Sensed Data,” Photogrammetric Engg. Rem. Sens., 64. 207-216. 1998.
[8]	Morawaitz, Dana, F., Blewett, Tina, M.., Cohen, Alex, and Alberti, Marina. “Using NDVI to Assess Vegetation Land Cover Change in Central Puget Sound,” Environmental monitoring and Assessment, 114 (1-3). 85-106. 2006.
[9]	Murali, K.S., Murthy, I.K., and Ravundranath, H.., “Joint Forest Management in India and its ecological impacts,” Environment Management Health, 13. 512-528. 2002.
[10]	Rahman, M. M., “Temporal Change detection of Vegetation Coverage in Patuakhali Coastal Area of bangladesh Using GIS & Remotely Sensed Data,” International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences, 4 (1). 36-46. 2013.
[11]	Reddy, Anji., M., Textbook of Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems; 3rd Edition, BS Publications, Hyderabad, India,2006, 191-193.
[12]	Sarma, V.V.L.N., Krishna, G. Murali., Malini, Hema. B., and Rao, K. Nageswara., “Land Use/Land Cover Change detection through remote sensing and its climatic implications in the Godavari Delta region”, J. Ind. Soc. Rem. Sensing, 29. 86-91. 2001.
[13]	Singh, A., “Review Article: Digital Change Detection Techniques using Remotely Sensed Data,” International Journal of Remote Sensing, 10. 989-1003. 1989.
[14]	Tarpley., J. D., Schneider., S. R., and Money., R. L., Global Vegetation Indices from the NOAA-7 Meteorological Satellite, J. Clim. Appl. Meteor., 23. 491-494. 1984.
[15]	Tovar, C. L. Meneses., “NDVI as indicator of Degradation,” Unasylva, 62. 238. 2012. Available at: www.fao.org/docrep/o 15/i2560e/i2560e07.pdf; accessed on 14-03-2014.