Abstract
The present investigation was carried out during 2015-2016. The change was analyzed for a period of 10 years (2005 to 2015). Landsatoperational land imager (OLI) and thematic mapper (TM) satellite images (of 30 m resolution) of the years 2015 and 2005 were used.Mapping was performed on a 1:50,000 scale using ArcGIS software, and for image enhancement, ERDAS imagine software was used.Extensive Ground Truthing was employed to supplement accuracy assessment and a total of 133 ground truth points were taken fordata collection. The overall classification accuracy of the mapping was 92.48% and the Kappa coefficient was 0.87. The study area wasdelineated via visual image interpretation technique into 10 LULC classes viz., forest, forest scrub, agriculture, grassland, snow, waterbody,horticulture, wasteland, and agroforestry respectively. The forest cover density map was classified into three classes on the basis of crowndensity viz., Closed Forest, Open Forest and Forest Scrub. Furthermore, two additional classes grassl and non-forest were also delineated.The results obtained from change analysis were used to identify the drivers of forest cover change using a close-ended semi-structuredinterview schedule. The responses were assigned scores for the ranking of drivers using statistical analysis. The comparison of maps of2005 and 2015 revealed that the total forest area has reduced by 0.48% from 2005 to 2015. The area under agriculture has declined by0.87% during the same period. Horticulture has shown an increase of 0.8% during the decade. It was also found that the area underClosed Forests reduced by 1.05% from 2005 to 2015 while Open Forests, forest scrub, and grassland increased by 0.57 %, 0.27% and0.08% respectively. In terms of area, conversion of Closed Forest into Open Forest 851.48 ha), Closed Forest into Forest Scrub (104.77ha), and Open Forest into Forest Scrub (33.26 ha) ascribed to forest degradation whereas conversion of 111.42 ha, 59.87 ha and 26.61ha of land from closed forest, forest scrub and open forest into non-forest can be attributed to deforestation.
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