Abstract
Abstract Conversion of forestland to other uses is occurring in Maine as growing human populations and desire for second homes are exerting development pressures on privately owned forestland. This study was performed to assess forest cover change and conversion to developed uses in a 636,000-hastudy area in Maine. A three-date time series (2000, 2002, and 2006) of Landsat Thematic Mapper data was analyzed to detect forest cover losses, and overall mapping accuracy was determined to be 91%. Forest cover losses (percentage per year) were aggregated for 81 townships and reported foreach time sequence. Rates of forest cover loss differ among townships and for the same township in different time periods. Visual interpretation of forestland conversion using high-resolution images for a subsample of 24 townships showed that 305 of 4,716 harvested forest hectares (6.47%)was converted to developed uses. The study demonstrates the practical use of low-cost remote-sensing imagery and routine interpretation methods for accurate tracking of forest change and quantification of land use conversion. The methods are adaptable to other states to assist decisionmakersin assessing regional and local land use and planning forest conservation measures.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
