Abstract
Changes in ecosystem functions can be analyzed through changes in land use land cover (LULC) systems. This study was carried out to analyze the LULC changes and perception of local community towards land cover change in the lowlands of Bale, Southeast Ethiopia using remote sensing data, field observations and perception of local people. The results showed that cultivated land, settlement, bush land and bare land expanded by 13.81, 14.30, 12.62 and 22.3% respectively, between 1986 and 2016, whereas wood land, grassland and shrubby grassland declined by 33.82, 24.4 and 3.36% respectively. Local communities’ perceptions indicate that climatic, demographic and anthropogenic factors as well as implementation of inappropriate government policy and development interventions were major driving forces of LULC dynamics. Environmental and local livelihoods implications such as rangeland degradation, bush encroachment, soil degradation, livestock loss, biodiversity loss and poverty increase resulted from these changes. Cumulative effects contribute to rangeland degradation and poverty. Therefore, to halt the impact of LULC disturbance and its implication on the likelihood of the pastoralist, appropriate management measures and government policies have to be implemented. Key words: Bale rangelands, remote sensing, land use/cover change, socio-economic factor.
Highlights
According to Dong et al (2011), range land ecosystem supports over one billion herds of camel, cattle, sheep and goats and over 200 million pastoral households
The district covers a total area of 5426 km2
The land use/cover change analysis made for the two consecutive periods 1986 to 2001 and 2001 to 2016 indicated that the rangeland was subject to considerable land use land cover changes (Table 2 and Figure 2)
Summary
According to Dong et al (2011), range land ecosystem supports over one billion herds of camel, cattle, sheep and goats and over 200 million pastoral households. Rangelands biomes encompassing much of the area where pastoral livestock production is a major land use, cover 51% of the earth’s land area (Mussa et al, 2016). Extensive livestock production is the main land use activity in rangeland areas, and due to this it’s been referred to as pastoral land. Mussa et al (2016) describes rangeland to the specific values such as providing daily and seasonal forage, carbon sequestration, water resources, breeding grounds to wild animals and livestock which are some of the services from rangelands; while Little and McPeak (2014) describes rangeland ecosystem as an entail of various resources with many ecological, social and economic values.
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