Change Detection of Forest and Habitat Resources from 1973 to 2001 in Bach Ma National Park, Vietnam, Using Remote Sensing Imagery

Abstract

1 Land cover changes have not been well documented in Vietnam. This paper presents new information relevant to land cover modifications and to resource inventory such as forest management and wildlife habitats. Formed in 1991, Bach Ma National Park and its buffer zone is one of the richest regions for biodiversity in Asia, providing habitat for endangered species. The paper assesses the major forest cover changes using Remote Sensing Imagery (Landsat: MSS, TM, +ETM) between the years prior to the establishment of national park status and the years following. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used across sensors; for the study area five regions were identified where major land-cover changes have occurred. Between 1973 and 2001 it is estimated that approximately 45 % of the buffer zone was modified, or lost its forest cover, with most changes occurring around 1989, just prior to the park establishment. These changes can most likely be attributed to forest and resource extrapolation that coincided with a high human population density and is supported by extensive road building in the surrounding region. More research is needed to improve presented approaches in order to better safeguard forested landscapes in Vietnam.

Deforestation in Colombian protected areas increased during post-conflict periods

“…When society emerges from a long period of conflict, and as economic activities resume, an uptick in deforestation is a likely and foreseeable outcome. This consequence can occur post-conflict, as in Colombia and Vietnam 70 , after the collapse of a government (e.g., the Soviet Union), or after the discovery of abundant resources in a politically weak state (e.g., oil in Nigeria). Nations undergoing such transitions require assistance to quickly re-establish protections for the natural environment.…”

Analysing fragmentation in vulnerable biodiversity hotspots in Tanzania from 1975 to 2012 using remote sensing and fragstats

“…Generally, habitat fragmentation interferes with the structural configuration of ecosystems and their ecological functioning (Abdullah and Nakagoshi 2007, Echeverria et al 2006, Echeverria et al 2008, Iida and Nakashizuka 1995, Forman and Godron 1986. Specifically, fragmentation reduces total habitat area, making species highly vulnerable to endemism and extinction (Yen et al 2005, Murcia 1995, Aguilar et al 2008, Yen et al 2005. Hence fragmentation has long term impacts on species numbers (Aguilar et al 2008) and species abundance (Fahrig 2003, Debinski and Holt 2001, Yen et al 2005, Forman and Godron 1986 as it exposes natural ecosystems to external risks such as parasitism and dominance of invasive species (Wiens 1995).…”

“…It is considered a major cause of species loss (Pelkey 2000, Adams et al 2003, Bjørndalen 1992, Burgess et al 2002, Burgess et al 2001, Yen et al 2005, Forman and Godron 1986. In Africa, approximately 310,000 hectares of forest is annually converted to agriculture, while 200,000 hectares is converted into woodlands, major causes of fragmentation (Achard 2002).…”

Islands of Felicity? – The Effect of Land Cover Changes in and around Protected Areas: A Case Study of Bach Ma National Park, Vietnam

“…A reason for this occurrence may be damage caused by the war in the 1970s and the use of Agent Orange. Furthermore, the local people migrated from the flat regions at higher elevations to safer and more secure locations [17,23]. In 1991, BMNP was officially designated and the forest cover decreased from 99.1% to 98% (or 98.3% to 94.3% in the former BMNP areal extent).…”

“…-The Effect of Land Cover Changes in and around Protected Areas: A Case Study of Bach Ma National Park, Vietnam reforms in 1986, the low income levels within the highlands forced people to move back to economically stronger regions. Nevertheless, the number of inhabitants within the buffer zones has increased since 1990 (64 people/km² to 69 people/km² in 2000) [23]. The centers of settlements around BMNP are west of the Nam Dong district and north of the Phu Loc district.…”