Patterns Of Forest Loss Research Articles

Tracking Deforestation, Drought, and Fire Occurrence in Kutai National Park, Indonesia

The dry lowland and mangrove forests of Kutai National Park (KNP) in Indonesia provide invaluable ecosystem services to local human populations (>200,000 in number), serve as immense carbon sinks to recapture anthropogenic emissions, and safeguard habitats for thousands of wildlife species including the critically endangered Northeast Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus morio). With recent reports of ongoing illegal logging and large-scale wildfires within this National Park, we sought to leverage the extensive catalogue and processing power of Google Earth Engine to track the rates and influences of forest loss within KNP over various time periods since 1997. We present estimates of forest loss from the Hansen Global Forest Change v1.9 dataset (2000–2021) which detected a loss of 15% (272 km2) of forest cover within KNP since 2000, half of which (137 km2) coincided with the El Niño-induced wildfires of 2015–2016. Using the MCD64A1 C6.1 MODIS dataset, we found significant spatial overlap between burned area and forest loss detections during the 2015–2016 period but identified considerable omissions in the burned area dataset over smallholder farms within KNP. We discuss the implications of deforestation in areas of primary orangutan habitat and how patterns of forest loss have influenced drought and fire dynamics within KNP. Finally, we compare time-series estimates of precipitation, the ENSO index, burned area, and forest loss to demonstrate that fire risk within KNP depends largely—but not exclusively—on drought severity, and that rates of non-fire (gradual) and fire-related (extreme) forest loss threaten the remaining forests of this National Park.

Assessment of forest cover loss and impacts on ecosystem services: Coupling of remote sensing data and people's perception in the dry deciduous forest of West Bengal, India

Forest loss is one of the major environmental issues and is threatening livelihoods across the world. Understanding the drivers of forest cover loss in the different forest cover densities and its impacts on ecosystem services are relevant for sustainable management of the forest ecosystem. Extensive studies exploring topics related to spatial-temporal deforestation, little is known regarding quantitative forest loss by individual disturbance driver and people's perceptions of forest loss's impacts on provisioning ecosystem services. The present study focused on trends and patterns of forest loss by forest disturbance drivers in the different forest cover densities and its impacts on provisioning ecosystem services integrated with remote sensing data and local people's perceptions in the dry deciduous forest of West Bengal. This study employs stratified probability sampling approach using time series Landsat data on Google Earth Engine platform to quantify forest loss between 2006 and 2020 in the different pre-disturbance forest cover densities by forest disturbance drivers. Structured household interviews were used to examine local people's perceptions about forest cover loss and its impacts on ecosystem services. We found that 68.463% of forest area is cleared by disturbance drivers between 2006 and 2020. Annual rate of forest clearing is increasing trend and dominating in dense forests, followed by medium forests and open forests. Logging and agricultural clearing was the most dominant drivers over space and time. Overall 73.92% of households perceived decline in the availability of provisioning ecosystem services. Wild foods and medicinal plants were the most affected ecosystem services followed by livestock feed, construction materials and fuel wood. This study may help to the regional assessment of gross forest loss by individual disturbance driver, and its impacts on provisioning ecosystem services for supporting decision making to sustainable forest management.

SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING FOREST MANAGEMENT IN SELANGOR RIVER BASIN AREA FROM 1990 TO 2020

Forests are the primary ecosystem on earth that preserves natural resources. This paper aims to identify the forest loss percentage in the Selangor River Basin areas from 1990 to 2020. The objectives are to analyze (i) the pattern of forest loss in the Selangor River Basin area and (ii) the land-cover changes in the study area using a change detection analysis. Datasets of four clear cloud images were based upon to produce the land-cover map and identify the forest loss. Landsat images were employed to detect the land-cover changes. The Landsat images’ methodology of land-cover classification was unsupervised pixel-based classification methods using maximum likelihoods. The specific land cover includes forest, built-up area, bare land, vegetation, water bodies, and cloud. The result showed that the forest areas decreased from 108546.93 hectares in 1990 to 70239.33 hectares in 2020, representing a class change of 17.05 percent. A drastic increase was also noted in the built-up area from 1407.51 hectares in 1990 to 43128.27 hectares in 2020, and this category of land cover increased by 18.56 percent over the 30-year timeline. The factors contributing to the forest loss include anthropogenic factors as the most important cause of land cover change. Urbanization, a lack of forest guards, and a failure to implement policies were all identified as human activities causing the loss of the forest and the rise of the built-up area. A DPSIR framework was produced to provide the relevant indicators and allow policymakers to contribute input on environmental concerns of the future impact in policy development. This framework act as a contribution in efforts to conserve natural resources through policy formulation.

Subsistence lifestyles and insular forest loss in the Louisiade Archipelago of Papua New Guinea: an endemic hotspot

Insular areas of the south-west Pacific support high levels of global biodiversity and are undergoing rapid change. The Louisiade Archipelago of Papua New Guinea is a poorly known location with high levels of endemism. The largest island, Sudest Island, supports single-island endemic species and has the largest tract of forest remaining in this island group. The islands still support traditional subsistence lifestyles. This study investigated the patterns of forest loss since 1974 and predicted future forest loss to identify areas of conservation concern. We collected village population census data to assess population growth from 1979–2011. Historical vegetation mapping from 1974 was compared with Global Forest Change data from 2000–14. The geospatial drivers of forest loss were investigated using a generalised linear mixed model. Projected forest cover loss patterns in the islands were modelled in GEOMOD to the year 2030. Resident populations grew rapidly (6.0% per year, 1979–2011) but only a low rate of forest loss (e.g. −0.035% per year, Sudest Island) was observed between 1974 and 2014, restricted to low elevations near villages. Future modelling showed varied impacts on the remaining forest extents of the larger islands. The study offers a rare contemporary example of a biodiverse hotspot that has remained relatively secure. We concluded that local cultural and environmental settings of islands in the south-west Pacific can strongly determine the patterns and processes of forest cover change, and need to be considered in programs to conserve endemic diversity.

Species-specific traits predict genetic structure but not genetic diversity of three fragmented Afrotropical forest butterfly species

The Upper Guinean forests of Ghana, West Africa, are considered among the most threatened and fragmented in the world. Little is known about the genetic consequences of fragmentation on Ghana’s forest-associated species, but this genetic signature is generally expected to differ across species. We compared patterns of mtDNA cytochrome oxidase I (COI) variation of three Nymphalid forest butterfly species that differ with respect to their relative dispersibilities (Aterica galene: high habitat fidelity, low dispersal ability; Euphaedra medon: high habitat fidelity, strong dispersal ability; Gnophodes betsimena: relaxed habitat fidelity, low dispersal ability). Individuals were collected from two large forest reserves and five small sacred forest groves. Patterns of differentiation across species were broadly coincident with our predicted hierarchy of relative species dispersibility and suggested that genetic connectivity is most compromised by strict fidelity to forest habitat rather than by raw capacity for sustained flight. Connectivity was uncorrelated with geographic distance, but instead seemed best explained by urbanization and the sequential pattern of forest loss. Genetic diversity was dramatically different among species and not easily explained by either species-specific traits or effects of fragmentation. Aterica galene, the species most impacted by fragmentation, exhibited very high diversity, whereas G. betsimena, a broadly distributed, very common species, with relaxed habitat fidelity, was genetically depauperate. There was limited evidence of genetic erosion from the sacred groves despite these small forest patches accounting for less than 1–10 % of the total area of the forest reserves, which indicates these forest relics have high conservation value.

Analysis of Eastern Mediterranean Oak Forests Over the Period 1965–2003 Using Landscape Indices on a Patch Basis

Although Eastern Mediterranean forests have been exploited for many years, the changing trends in the past 40 years require detailed investigations. Forests in the coastal zone of Lebanon are witnessing major changes mainly because of chaotic urbanisation. The study area at the coastal zone of Lebanon has 96% of its forest cover under oak coppice. The aim of this study is to investigate the applicability of landscape indices on oak forests especially their ability to detect changes between 1965 and 2003. It uses forest canopy closure as another indicator of forest destruction. The 1965 forest map was first checked for its accuracy before being used to extract patch delineations and canopy closures. Landcover types for 2003 were obtained by classifying a SPOT 5 satellite image. FRAGSTATS software was utilised on the 1965 map on a patch basis to calculate patch shapes and sizes. These indices and canopy closures data were investigated for correlation purposes with patterns of forest loss. The edge distances between forest patches in 1965 and new forest patches in 2003 were computed to analyze regeneration processes. Results show that although older forest patches have shown a 48% loss in area, total forest area reached 83%. Abandoned agricultural lands have become new forest. Smaller forest patches (< 40 ha) showed greater losses than large ones. Small and open forest patches recorded greater loss than large and dense patches. Shape indices show no correlation with forest loss. Clearance for agriculture covered 30% of the pre-existing forests, while urban developments accounted for just 4% of forest loss. This research highlights the great need for comprehensive studies of forests using landscape analyses. Such analyses help managers develop practical and relevant conservation measures.

Forest loss and fragmentation in the Amazon: implications for wildlife conservation

Amazonian forests are experiencing rapid, unprecedented changes that are having major impacts on wildlife, regional hydrology and the global climate. Rates of deforestation and logging have accelerated in recent years and patterns of forest loss are changing, with extensive new highways providing conduits for settlers and loggers into the heart of the Amazon basin. These myriad changes are causing widespread fragmentation of forests. Fragmented landscapes in the Amazon experience diverse changes in forest dynamics, structure, composition and microclimate, and are highly vulnerable to droughts and fires—alterations that negatively affect a wide variety of animal species. In human-dominated lands intensive hunting may interact synergistically with fragmentation to further threaten wildlife populations.

Forest loss and fragmentation in the Amazon: implications for wildlife conservation

AbstractAmazonian forests are experiencing rapid, unprecedented changes that are having major impacts on wildlife, regional hydrology and the global climate. Rates of deforestation and logging have accelerated in recent years and patterns of forest loss are changing, with extensive new highways providing conduits for settlers and loggers into the heart of the Amazon basin. These myriad changes are causing widespread fragmentation of forests. Fragmented landscapes in the Amazon experience diverse changes in forest dynamics, structure, composition and microclimate, and are highly vulnerable to droughts and fires—alterations that negatively affect a wide variety of animal species. In human-dominated lands intensive hunting may interact synergistically with fragmentation to further threaten wildlife populations.