Changes of the Forest Types by Climate Changes using Satellite imagery and Forest Statistical Data: A case in the Chungnam Coastal Ares, Korea

Abstract

This study analyzes the changes in the surface area of each forest cover, based on temperature data analysis and satellite imagery as the basic methods for the impact assessment of climate change on regional units. Furthermore, future changes in the forest cover are predicted using the double exponential smoothing method. The results of the study have shown an overall increase in annual mean temperature in the studied region since 1990, and an especially increased rate in winter and autumn compared to other seasons. The multi-temporal analysis of the changes in the forest cover using satellite images showed a large decrease of coniferous forests, and a continual increase in deciduous forests and mixed forests. Such changes are attributed to the increase in annual mean temperature of the studied regions. The analysis of changes in the surface area of each forest cover using the statistical data displayed similar tendencies as that of the forest cover categorizing results from the satellite images. Accordingly, rapid changes in forest cover following the increase of temperature in the studied regions could be expected. The results of the study of the forest cover surface using the double exponential smoothing method predict a continual decrease in coniferous forests until 2050. On the contrary, deciduous forests and mixed forests are predicted to show continually increasing tendencies. Deciduous forests have been predicted to increase the most in the future. With these results, the data on forest cover can be usefully applied as the main index for climate change. Further qualitative results are expected to be deduced from these data in the future, compared to the analyses of the relationship between tree species of forest and climate factors.