Dynamics of deforestation and forest degradation hotspots applying geo-spatial techniques, apalchand forest in terai belt of himalayan foothills: Conservation priorities of forest ecosystem

Abstract

The forest cover or broadly forest health is gradually deteriorated day by day due to unexpected population growth, agricultural expansion and infrastructural development mainly in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. The Forest fragmentation rate as well as number of vulnerable forest hotspots is significantly intensified within Himalayan terai belt specifically in different pockets of Apalchand forest (India). This paper attempts to identify the vulnerable forest hotspots, fragmentation zone and forest canopy density. The relevant methods such as FCD model, spatial autocorrelation (Moran's I) and clustering (Getis-Ord Gi*statistics), forest fragmentation transformation matrix have been used to analyze the spatiotemporal changing patterns of forest fragmentation and canopy health of Apalchand forest. The result shows that the Z-score value is high in the year 1988 and comparatively low in the year 2020, so it has been observed that the forest condition in 2020 is more fragile in comparison with the year 1988. Meanwhile, the Getis-Ord Gi* statistics along with IDW method clearly illustrate the clustering of hot-spot and cold-spot regions with high level of significance (90%, 95% and 99%). Similarly, the areas of Patch and Perforated class have been considerably increased with respect to the years1988 and 2000. The hot spot zones are being enlarged in the south-eastern and middle parts of the Apalchand forest. The anthropogenic factors like expansion of tea gardens and agricultural land, infrastructural development, illegal timber trafficking are responsible for rapid fragmentation (Patch, Edge, Perforated areas) as well as reduction of canopy cover in different pockets of the study area. The alternative forest policy is highly required for the conservation of forest ecosystem as well as forest dwellers and forest fringe people.