Mangrove forest decline: consequences for livelihoods and environment in South Sulawesi

Mangrove forests in the tropics and subtropics grow in saline sediments in coastal and estuarine environments. Preservation of mangrove forests is important for many reasons, including the prevention of coastal erosion and seawater intrusion; the provision of spawning, nursery, and feeding grounds of diverse marine biota; and for direct use (such as firewood, charcoal, and construction material)—all of which benefit the sustainability of local communities. However, for many mangrove areas of the world, unsustainable resource utilization and the profit orientation of communities have often led to rapid and severe mangrove loss with serious consequences. The mangrove forests of the Takalar District, South Sulawesi, are studied here as a case area that has suffered from degradation and declining spatial extent during recent decades. On the basis of a post-classification comparison of change detection from satellite imagery and a survey of households, we provide an estimate of the mangrove change in the Takalar District during 1979–2011 and the consequences of those changes. Mangrove forest areas were reduced by 66.05 % (3344 hectares) during the 33-year period of analysis, and the biggest annual negative change in dense mangrove forest cover (8.37 %) occurred during the period 2006–2011. The changes were caused mainly by the mangrove clearing and conversion to aquaculture, and consequences have been increasing forest degradation, coastal abrasion, seawater intrusion, a decline in fish capture, a reduction in juvenile shrimp and milkfish, and outbreaks of shrimp disease. On the other hand, the clearing and impoundment of mangrove forests for shrimp and seaweed culture have provided a source of foreign exchange and new opportunities for employment in the study area.     

Changes in Vegetation Cover and Socio-Economic Transitions in a Coastal Lagoon (Kalametiya, Sri Lanka), As Observed by Teledetection and Ground Truthing, Can be Attributed to an Upstream Irrigation Scheme

According to some non-scholarly reports, Kalametiya lagoon (dry zone of southern Sri Lanka, formerly 8.9 km², now 7.5 km²) had been a moderately or high salinity water body and a very important centre of prawn fishery until the late 1960s. Most of the lagoon area had remained open water until then. An upstream irrigation project, the Udawalawa irrigation scheme, came into operation in 1967, increasing the freshwater inflow to the lagoon. The flora, fauna and water quality of the lagoon was reported to have changed since then.The lagoon now is a shallow coastal water body with low salinity water. More than 75% of the lagoon is covered by freshwater species or mangrove species characteristic for water with a low salinity: Eichhornia crassipes, Typha latifolia resp. Sonneratia caseolaris. There is actually no commercially important fishery in the lagoon.The present study was carried out to assess scientifically the said changes in the vegetation within a GIS, using aerial photographs taken in 1956 and 1994 and IRS IC, PAN+LISS III satellite images of 1997 in combination with ground surveys and information from a questionnaire-based survey.It appeared from this work that the aerial cover by Sonneratia caseolaris has increased by more than 30 times over the period from 1956 to the recent dates. Also, the lagoon area with open water has been drastically reduced during the same period as a result of spreading of freshwater and low salinity plant species. The results strongly suggest that the locally reported changes (fisheries decline, water salinity decrease) can be corroborated by the observed profound changes in plant cover and that upstream water works may have had strong impacts on this ecosystem, thus causing these changes.This study couples data obtained from retrospective aerial photograph series, from spaceborne imaging, from actual ground surveys and from questionnaires amongst elderly people to reconstruct decadal environmental change, thus attempting to fill the gap of lacking historical environmental data.     

Land cover changes in the Lachuá region,Guatemala: patterns,proximate causes,and underlying driving forces over the last 50 years

Identifying the patterns of land cover change (LCC) and their main proximate causes and underlying driving forces in tropical rainforests is an urgent task for designing adequate management and conservation policies. The Lachuá region maintains the largest lowland rainforest remnant in Guatemala, but it has been highly deforested and fragmented during the last decades. This is the first paper to describe the patterns of LCC and the associated political and socioeconomic factors in the region over the last 50 years. We estimated spatial and temporal variations in LCC from a random sample of 24 1-km² landscape plots during three time periods (1962–1987, 1987–2006, and 2006–2011) and evaluated how they were related to some important proximate causes and underlying driving forces. During the study period, 55 % of forest cover disappeared, at an annual rate of 1.6 %. The deforestation rate increased from 0.6 % (during the first study period) to 2.8 % (last period), but there was very high spatial variation. Landscape plots located outside conservation areas and close to roads lost between 80 and 100 % of forest cover, whereas the forest cover in landscapes located within protected areas remained intact during the study period. The establishment of new human settlements, roads, and annual crops was the main proximate cause during the first period, but during the second and third periods, open areas were mainly created to establish cattle pastures. Because ~75 % of forest cover has disappeared outside the protected areas, the conservation of this biodiversity hot spot will depend on the expansion of protected areas, and the promotion of forest regrowth and alternative biodiversity-friendly land uses in the landscape matrix.     

Evaluating land cover change and its impact on hydrological regime in Upper Shire river catchment, Malawi

A study was conducted to investigate hydrological impacts of land cover changes in the degradation of the hydrological on flow regimes of the Upper Shire river, Malawi. Remote sensing techniques were used to inventory temporal changes of land cover changes in the catchment. Hydrological data were analyzed to reveal the alterations and trends for two periods; 1989 and 2002. The study revealed significant changes in magnitude and direction that have occurred in the catchment between 1989 and 2002, mainly in areas of human habitation. Trends in land cover change in the Upper Shire river catchment depict land cover transition from woodlands to mostly cultivated/grazing and built-up areas. The land cover mapping showed that 23% of the land was covered by agricultural land in 1989. Subsistence agricultural area has increased by 18%, occupying 41% of the study area in 2002. The effects of the derived land cover changes on river flow in the Upper Shire river were investigated using the semi distributed soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model. River flows were found to be highly variable and sensitive to land cover changes. Simulation results show that 2002 land cover data produces higher flow peaks and faster travel times compared to the 1989 land cover data. The changes detected indicate the effects of land use pressure in the catchment. The study highlights the importance of considering effects of land use and land cover changes on ecosystems, and water resources for an informed decision on proper catchment planning and management.     

杭州湾南岸滨海平原土地利用/覆被空间格局变化分析

杭州湾南岸滨海平原位于沪、杭、甬经济金三角的中心地带,是我国沿海经济最发达的地区之一。研究其土地利用/覆被空间格局变化对合理利用土地资源,促进沿海地区的可持续发展具有重要意义。利用1987年和2000年2个时期的TM影像,分析了杭州湾南岸滨海平原土地利用/覆被数量及空间格局变化特征。结果表明,杭州湾南岸滨海平原建设用地、水体和养殖用地呈现明显的增长趋势,水田、旱地、滩地、林地和盐田呈减少趋势。受自然和人类活动的共同影响,土地利用/覆被类型斑块平均面积由0.245 km2降至0.173 km2,斑块密度则由4.081个/km2提高到5.781个/km2,斑块数量增加了42%。由于斑块的破碎化,大部分土地利用/覆被类型的边界密度、形态指数、分维数和斑块密度都有不同程度的增加。城市化和非农化的发展使得建设用地格局指数变化表现出一定的特殊性。     

快速城市化地区的土地利用时空动态变化研究 --以南京市为例

20年来,在中国城市化快速发展的过程中,一系列与城市化相关的环境问题随之产生。六朝古都——南京,作为我国经济最发达的长江流域四大中心城市之一,其快速的城市化过程也不可避免地带来了同样的环境问题。为了研究南京市的城市化和土地利用变化规律及其对水文过程的影响,利用1987、1998、2000年的三期遥感数据,通过分层分类的方法对各土地利用类型进行专题信息提取,结合GIS技术,获得研究区1987~1998,1998~2000年两个时段的土地利用变化转移矩阵。据此全面分析了南京市的土地利用时空变化特征。结果表明：南京市13年来,城乡居民及建设用地以大量蚕食耕地而显著增加,年均增幅达到1.92％;耕地和未利用地则明显减少,年均减幅分别为0.62％ 和1.21％;林地和水域有所增加,主要来自未利用地的转变,剩余12.35％的未利用地则转化为城乡居民及建设用地。引起这一土地利用变化的主要驱动力是人口的增长和经济的发展以及政策制度的激励和导向作用。     

基于CLUE-S模型的千岛湖镇土地利用动态模拟分析

基于1993、2004年两期土地利用数据和1〖DK〗∶250000DEM，运用GIS技术，通过Logistic逐步回归分析，在地形、高程、水系、道路交通、城镇和居民点等多种自然和社会经济因素中，筛选出不同时期对千岛湖镇主要土地利用类型空间分布及其变化具有决定作用的驱动因子，并对所得结果进行ROC检验，同时生成相应的土地利用空间分布概率适宜图，然后采用CLUE-S模型，对其2004年的土地利用变化格局进行模拟；并用2004年的土地利用现状图对模拟结果进行检验，结果显示，在基本单元（90 m×90 m栅格）的水平上，模拟的正确率为8471%，Kappa值达到了0825。在此基础上，针对两种政策情景，应用相同模型模拟预测了千岛湖镇2015年的土地利用时空变化。与2004年相比较，变化明显的是城镇工矿用地的扩张和林地的减少，并且城镇工矿用地的扩张多是在原有城镇及工矿用地的基础上向四周扩展，侵占的多是周边的耕地、林地、未利用地。     

Recent Changes in Land-Use in the Pambala–Chilaw Lagoon Complex (Sri Lanka) Investigated Using Remote Sensing and GIS: Conservation of Mangroves vs. Development of Shrimp Farming

Shrimp aquaculture is currently one of the major threats to mangroves, their destruction causing both environmental and social problems. This study investigated the mangrove area in the Pambala–Chilaw Lagoon complex (07°30 N, 079°49 E) in Sri Lanka. Using air-borne remote sensing, a land-use map was constructed in a geographical information system of the study area and pond managers were interviewed about the functioning of their shrimp farms. Based on fieldwork during the four years after taking the aerial photographs, an updated GIS-based land-use map was constructed and compared the original situation. This revealed that shrimp farms had expanded with by 25 ha in four years, mainly at the expense of mangrove forest (approx. 13 ha) and coconut plantations (approx. 11 ha). Official documents from the World Conservation Union advise conservation of the undisturbed habitats in Pambala, but this study's observations do not corroborate an eventuation of this. Other authors reported political patronage as the main cause of this adverse situation. Since the shrimp industry depends on various ecological services provided by the mangrove ecosystem in order to maintain production (cf. ecological footprint concept) the mangrove destruction is counter-productive and these observations are therefore alarming for the aquaculturists as well. The low ratio (2.6 : 1) of remaining mangrove to shrimp pond area suggests that the industry may experience severe problems, particularly as mangrove areas continue to be reclaimed for aquaculture or other land uses, unless drastic measures are taken.     

Land Degradation Evaluation in North Hebei Province Based on Remote Sensing and GIS

Abstract

Land degradation is one of the serious environmental problems that can lead to poverty, and is especially prominent in eco-fragile areas in developing countries and increases the risk of environmental safety. North Hebei Province belongs to an ecologically fragile region in North China, which has great impact on the eco-safety of Beijing and Tianjin. Using Landsat TM data and GIS, this paper evaluates land degradation in North Hebei province of China from the the 1960's to 1987 and 2000. Land use/cover change pattern from 1987 to 2000, its regional difference and forest change characteristics will also be analyzed; soil erosion intensity and arable land suitability were also evaluated. Results revealed that land use/cover pattern in this study area did not change greatly from 1987 to 2000. The structure and function of regional land ecosystem was at a level of local improvement and integral deterioration. Land above medium soil erosion intensity reached 21 percent, which was also the area with a serious soil erosion and land degradation problem. Soil erosion and land degradation intensity of grassland was the biggest. For the present arable land, the proportion of high suitability was 13 percent.     

Land Degradation Evaluation in North Hebei Province Based on Remote Sensing and GIS

Land degradation is one of the serious environmental problems that can lead to poverty, and is especially prominent in eco-fragile areas in developing countries and increases the risk of environmental safety. North Hebei Province belongs to an ecologically fragile region in North China, which has great impact on the eco-safety of Beijing and Tianjin. Using Landsat TM data and GIS, this paper evaluates land degradation in North Hebei province of China from the the 1960＇s to 1987 and 2000. Land use/cover change pattern from 1987 to 2000, its regional difference and forest change characteristics will also be analyzed; soil erosion intensity and arable land suitability were also evaluated. Results revealed that land use/cover pattern in this study area did not change greatly from 1987 to 2000. The structure and function of regional land ecosystem was at a level of local improvement and integral deterioration. Land above medium soil erosion intensity reached 21 percent, which was also the area with a serious soil erosion and land degradation problem. Soil erosion and land degradation intensity of grassland was the biggest. For the present arable land, the proportion of high suitability was 13 percent.     

Impact of economic drivers on mangroves of Indian Sundarbans: an exploration of missing links

Export of shrimps and prawns using intensive cultivation in the Sundarban area of Indian Bengal had a negative impact on mangrove forests in 1980s. Land conversions from agricultural use and mangrove forest to shrimp ponds are significant. The impact of changing economic factors such as trade on mangrove forests is evident but as yet this link is not clearly understood by decision-makers. In this context, this study analyses the impact of economic driver on land use changes by combining socio-economic data (economic variables) and satellite data (land use change). Using the panel data method for 1986–2004 in eight administrative units of the Sundarbans area, the study identifies relative return and productivity of labour for various types of land use together with population density as the major drivers of land use change. Identification of these drivers would help to design an effective response policy for management of this UNESCO Heritage site.     

Analysis of urban heat island effect in Visakhapatnam,India, using multi-temporal satellite imagery: causes and possible remedies

The thermal data sets of Landsat for the years 2014 and 2019 are used to assess the transients of land surface temperature (LST) in Visakhapatnam, India. The variation in estimated temperature fields is compared with the land use pattern to validate temperature with reference to land use land cover (LULC). During the considered period, the built-up area in the study region increased by 63%. The aerial extent of water bodies has come down by 12.5%, and there is a significant drop in vegetation cover. The LST of the regions with the densely built-up area is high compared to the other types of land use. A mean rise of 4.8 °C in the LST has been noticed over the study area during this period. Few monitoring points representing rural areas within the proximity of the study region have been established, and the LST is monitored explicitly. As a result, it has been observed that the temperature in rural areas is relatively lower than the city region, which confirms the urban heat island effect. A micro-level study has been conducted by dividing the study area into four zones as per administrative boundaries. Statistical analysis using the zonal attributes affirms a positive correlation of 0.55 between LST and the built-up area. In contrast, a negative correlation of 0.52 between LST and vegetation cover is observed. The LULC results are validated using Google Earth Images captured at a finer resolution. Being selected as one of the cities under the smart city mission by the Urban Development Ministry of Govt. of India, it is expected that the land use pattern in Visakhapatnam will change drastically in the coming years. The findings of this study foster the relationship between LST and LULC, and the conclusions thus drawn would help planners for the sustainable development of Visakhapatnam.

     

城市湖泊地区的土地利用变化--以武汉东湖为例

利用1986、1993、1999年的Landsat TM卫星遥感影像和1981年地形图,借助GIS技术分析了城市湖泊地区—武汉东湖流域1987～1999间土地利用的时空变化及景观结构的变化。土地利用分为水体、针叶林、阔叶林、灌草、裸地、农业用地和城镇用地七种类型。各时期遥感影像分类精度都在85%以上。该流域土地利用变化以城镇大幅度扩展（从占全流域面积的9.1％到29.6％）、农业用地增加(从7.0％到13.9％)和由此引起的林地（从占全流域面积的33.6％到24.3％）、水体（从30.4％到23.8％）面积减少为主要特征。同时流域整体的景观多样性下降、优势度提高,但不同景观组分的碎裂化程度的变化趋势不同。其中,城镇用地等优势景观组分的分布趋于聚集,其他类型多趋于碎裂化。流域的城市化具有方向性。城市的快速扩展对林地、灌草、水体等城市湖泊地区的自然生态系统产生显著影响。流域的土地利用及变化受多种自然、社会因素影响。     

Spatio-temporal variation of macrobenthic communities in the mangrove-fringed Segara Anakan lagoon, Indonesia, affected by anthropogenic activities

The benthic macrofauna of the Segara Anakan lagoon, Java, Indonesia and its fringing mangroves were investigated between May 2004 and August 2006. This lagoon has been affected by various human activities for decades, in particular fishing, effluents from agriculture and industry, and illegal deforestation. In total, 163 taxa were identified, including 127 species occurring in the mangrove forest and 59 species in the subtidal. Mean density of macrobenthos was 2.5-fold higher in the central (881.8 ± 1,151.3 ind. m^?2) than in the eastern mangrove site (356.3 ± 218.8 ind. m^?2). Community structures differed significantly between these sites and showed a serial shift during the investigation period. Gastropods dominated the community in the central mangrove location, whereas sipunculids, polychaetes and gastropods had similar densities in the eastern site. Differences in community composition were best explained by three sediment properties: pore water salinity, δ¹³C_org, and C_org/N. It is suggested that small-scale heterogeneity of food availability and quality is a main factor determining the small-scale variability of the community composition. Compared to other Indo-West Pacific mangroves, species richness and densities are high. However, the dominance of specific taxa, especially of opportunistic species and the comparably low species richness in the subtidal of the lagoon may be attributed to the high sediment input by rivers in the central part and to the large-scale cutting of mangroves. Continuous tree logging will probably lead to a further spread of two fast growing understorey plants and thus to an increase of uniform swamp sites and a decrease of micro-habitats for benthic macrofauna. To our knowledge, this is the first detailed study on the spatio-temporal variation of benthic macrofauna in mangroves of Indonesia.     

Land Cover Changes Between 1968 and 2003 In Cai Nuoc,Ca Mau Peninsula,Vietnam

Since 2000, the shrimp industry expands at a fast rate in the coastal areas of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Shrimp farming is known for its negative impact on the coastal environment. However, other human interventions like agriculture and urbanization also deteriorate the coastal environment. The land cover changes between 1968 and 2003 were determined and analyzed for the Cai Nuoc district, Ca Mau Province, Vietnam, using photos from 1968, 1992 (aerial photographs), 1997/98 (Spot) and 2003 (Landsat). It was clear that the district underwent serious land cover changes: deforestation between 1968 and 1992, with a simultaneous increase in rice land; a rapid decline in rice acreage from 1997 onwards, and, simultaneously, a blitz-increase in shrimp farming area. The forest area declined by 75% between 1968 and 2003. About 40% of this loss could be attributed to shrimp farming, while the remaining 60% was attributed to needs for agricultural land. Still, at present, shrimp farming is the major source of mangrove loss in the district. In 1999 shrimp farms covered 6.374 ha, in 2000 they covered 61.049 ha of the Cai Nuoc area. The swap from rice cultivation to shrimp farming was most-probably driven by households’ hopes for a higher income. It must be feared that the shrimp industry will have a negative impact on the environment (e.g. salinization) and on the livelihood of the district’s households. In 1968 saline water covered 219.9 km², in 1992, 1997/98 and 2003 the saline surface water area covered 92.4, 135.2 and 835.0 km², respectively. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

近30年来江苏省农村居民点时空格局演变及集约利用变化

基于江苏省6个时点的土地利用动态监测数据，分别从土地利用动态度、核密度估计、景观格局指数等空间探索性分析以及集约利用评价出发，对江苏省1987～2015年农村居民点时空格局动态演变进行分析。结果显示：(1）江苏省各市农村居民点用地从1987～2015年处于不断的扩张中，并呈波动增长态势，而居民点用地规模变化速度以苏中和苏南地区最快。(2）从农村居民点用地变动的转入和转出来看，1987～2015年农村居民点用地转入58.63万hm2，其中84.79%来源于耕地，占用耕地的比例表现为苏北>苏南>苏中；农村居民点用地转出28.36万hm ²，其中54.26%转变为城镇用地和40.88%复垦为耕地，苏北以复垦为耕地为主，苏中和苏南以转为城镇用地为主。(3）从农村居民点空间分布来看，核密度空间分异明显，呈“多核心”集聚分布，整体呈现“西密东疏”的空间格局特征，另外近30年江苏省农村居民点平均斑块面积呈增长趋势，且斑块形状越发规则，居民点聚集指数呈上升趋势。(4）从集约利用评价结果来看，农村居民点集约利用级别表现为：苏南>苏中>苏北，呈“由高到低”的集约利用梯度。总体来看，近30年来江苏省农村居民点空间格局演变趋于规则和集聚，集约利用程度区域差异明显。应根据居民点布局区域特点及集约利用差异，在推进宅基地“三权分置”和村庄空间规划的基础上，优化土地资源空间配置，提高宅基地利用效率，促进城乡融合发展和乡村振兴。     

四川马边彝族自治县土地利用/覆被变化分析

采用基于最大似然法的监督分类方法对四川省马边彝族自治县1988年和2001年两期Landsate5 TM影像进行解译,利用单项土地利用动态指数〖WTBX〗（LUDI）、双向土地利用动态指数（Ki）以及土地利用类型转移矩阵（Cx×y）〖WTBZ〗等定量分析方法分析解译结果,得到马边县13年间土地利用/覆被动态及转移特征,并对可能的生态影响进行了分析预测。结果显示：①次生林面积增加,针叶林面积有所下降,灌草地被农田大量取代;②城镇及居民点和次生林的动态最为活跃,转入面积明显高于转出面积;③中山区和亚高山区林地构成发生变化,高山草甸面积有所萎缩,河谷区的阔叶林带被次生林大量取代,低山河谷区的土地破碎化程度增加。研究表明,13年间马边土地利用/覆被变化具有动态高、转换活跃、空间性强以及人为活动干扰影响明显等特点。其中,低山丘陵区的灌草坡大量被农地替代、中山区和亚高山区次生林面积扩大应该作为生态退化的信号加以重视。另外,气候变化对马边森林植被演替可能产生的影响应在今后进行深入的分析研究     

长江上游不同地形条件下的土地利用/覆盖变化

基于1〖DK〗∶10万的1980、2000和2005年的土地利用/覆盖数据和90 m分辨率的DEM数据，采用转移概率矩阵和地形 面积频度方法，分析了1980~2005年长江上游地区不同地形因子条件下的土地利用/覆盖变化。结果表明：1）1980~2000年，草地、林地和农业用地面积变化趋势与2000~2005年相反。后5 a，可能由于退耕的土地出现反弹现象增多，草地和林地面积出现缩减而农业用地面积增加。两个分析时段主要的土地利用/覆盖类型变化趋势类似，包括农业用地向林地和草地的转化，林地向农业用地的转化以及草地向裸地的转化。2）农业用地和城镇用地主要分布于低海拔区而林地、草地则主要分布于高海拔区。低海拔区主要是退耕还林和城市化过程。高海拔区主要是林地的退化消失和草地退化沙化过程。3）农业用地在坡度段10~25°所占面积比例最大。林地用地面积比例随坡度变陡呈现规则递增，城镇用地分布趋势与之相反。近年裸地趋向分布于缓坡区。坡度0~5°的区域主要是草地退化沙化过程；5~10°坡度段主要是退耕还林过程；大于10°的区域造林工程与森林退化并存。4）各种土地利用/覆盖类型对不同坡向的适宜性相差不大。各种坡向上土地利用/覆盖类型变化类似.     

Population dynamics,rural livelihoods and environmental degradation: some experiences from Tanzania

Population growth and environmental degradation are closely linked. Increasing population has in many rural areas of Tanzania contributed to changes in land use/cover patterns, land fragmentation and livelihood insecurity. Increasing demand for food, energy and other environmental services has contributed to expansion of agriculture, including marginal areas, and deforestation often leading to environmental degradation. Increased reliance on natural resources for rural livelihoods, subsistence nature of the agricultural sector and limited economic opportunities in rural areas are among the factors leading to rural–rural and rural–urban migrations searching for better livelihood opportunities. The high urban demand for food and biomass energy from rural areas has also contributed to rural deforestation and overall environmental degradation. This paper addresses the linkages between population and environmental degradation in Tanzania. It argues that effective implementation of development and resources management policies can lead to environmental sustainability even with growing populations. It provides evidence from successful land management interventions such as HADO, HASHI and SECAP, which support the argument that with effective implementation of resource management initiatives even larger populations can be supported by the available resources. Such successful interventions ought to be emulated elsewhere with similar environmental problems.