Cikapundung watershed land cover characterization using SPOT-6 imagery

Abstract

Event: This poster was presented in the ICMSE 2017, Universitas Negeri Semarang, 18-19 Sep 2017, Link to event: http://icmseunnes.com/2017/ Background: In addition to its hydrological function, watershed also plays an important role in nature conservation by providing habitats for wildlife. Cikapundung watershed is part of the upstream Citarum River Basin in which the river crosses the urban area of Bandung. The existence of urban areas will affect the conservation function of watershed area due to many disturbances caused by human activities (Tejerina-Garro et al. 2005). Characterization of land cover can be used to indicate the degree of human activity in the Cikapundung watershed. Forest is an ideal habitat to support wildlife. However, in a densely-populated urban region, setting aside large area for urban forests may not always possible. Patches of tree vegetation in urban regions could still serve as habitat. The quality of tree patches as habitat will increase when those patches are functionally connected. Inter-patches connectivity has been suggested as an important aspect in facilitation wildlife movement and gene flow, which eventually increase the viability of populations separated due to habitat isolation. Quantifying landscapeconnectivityamong tree vegetation patches in Cikapundung watershed can reveal areas with low landscape connectivity. Such information can be used by government authority. Aims: Describing the spatial pattern of land cover in Cikapundung watershed; Quantifying the number and size of land cover-based patches in the Cikapundung watershed; Describing the landscape connectivity among tree vegetation patches in the Cikapundung watershed. Results: Farmland dominated land cover in the Cikapundung watershed (23%). Its distribution spreads from upstream to downstream. Tree-cover was the second largest land cover (16%). Meanwhile, built-up area constitutes 11 % of the watershed. The built-up area was concentrated in hilir indicating an increasing intensity of human activity from upstream to downstream. Tree-cover was the land cover with the highest number of patch. Land cover with the second highest number of patch was farmland. Farmland patches were more concentrated in upstream. Despite its dominancy in downstream, number of built-up patch is low and this indicates that built-up areas tends to form clusters.