Spatial metrics of deforestation in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

Climate change has become an environmental issue that has received the most attention because it affects all aspects of life. One of the factors causing climate change is deforestation which continues to occur, especially in tropical countries like Indonesia. Indonesia is a country that has a high rate of deforestation that occurs in large islands including the island of Sulawesi as the Wallacea Region. Central Sulawesi Province has had the largest area of deforestation among other provinces on Sulawesi Island in the last three decades (1990-2020). Analysis of the rate of deforestation using the Geographic Information System shows that the highest deforestation rate occurred in Palu City at 2.16% (1990-2020), even in the last decade (2010-2020) the rate of deforestation was 3.31%. After that, it was followed by Banggai Islands Regency at 0.17%, while other districts were at rates below 0.1% (1990-2020). Palu City and Banggai Islands Regency are also a concern, further information after the rate of deforestation is the pattern of deforestation which is described through three metrics, namely Clumpiness Index, Contiguity Mean Index, and Patch Density which describes fragmentation using Fragstat software. Palu City has a clustered deforestation pattern and is entirely connected to each deforested area, but it has lower fragmentation. Banggai Islands District has fairly clustered deforestation, but does not have low connectivity between deforested areas, and tends not to be fragmented. Dealing with deforestation incidents in Palu City as a whole land area, and Banggai Islands Regency as a separate land area is different.