Forest Management Using Remote Sensing And GIS: A Case Study Of Kohistan

Abstract

Forest resources management at regional scale using traditional techniques is a challenging task especially in rugged terrain mountainous areas of Northern Pakistan. Remote sensing and GIS is turning into a valuable set of techniques for conducting forest resources assessment and reinstallation of degraded forest areas all over the world. Keeping in view the capabilities of RS & GIS techniques a study was designed with the main objectives to a) assess the spatial/temporal forest change over the last 18 years, b) evaluate and identify potential areas for Afforestation and c) delineate forest management zones. The study area in district Kohistan was selected using 1°x1° confluence points covering 20 km x 20 km area. Multiple satellite images of LandSat TM/ETM+ were used to cover the temporal periods of 1992-2009. Change detection tool of ERDAS Imagine was used whereas multicriteria dicision analysis (MCDA) approach was adopted in ArcGIS to identify suitability of sites for afforestation. Selected environmental and social parameters included Soil Wetness Index, Slope, Accessibility, soil type, land cover type, forest type, and climatic zones, using analytical hierarchical process were used in the analysis. The results revealed that deforestation has risen from 1% to 1.5% in last two decades and temporal change was prominent in the open canopy forests. Multi-criteria suitability analysis approved 42 % of land for afforestation whereas the forest management was finally categorized by defining ‘management zones’. Due to high rate of deforestation and extremely difficult terrain, the study recommends the use of remote sensing and GIS as a valuable tool in forest management.