Browsing Research articles (ORI) by Author "Southworth, J."
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Southworth, J.; Nagendra, H.; Cassidy, L. (Taylor & Francis, June 3, 2011)[more][less]
Abstract: Tropical forest habitat continues to decline globally, with serious consequences for environmental sustainability. The South/Southeast Asian landscapes represent one of the most challenging parts of the world to study issues of landscape change. High population densities in the region pose major threats to forest cover. Despite presentations of supposedly catastrophic declines in forest cover, substantial areas have been observed to maintain or increase forest cover in recent years. This research draws on data from Nepal, India, Thailand, and Cambodia to examine trajectories of forest-cover change along gradients of deforestation and reforestation. The gradients we observe extend from Cambodia, a still predominantly forested landscape, with development and change at initial stages, to Nepal which, despite having experienced large-scale forest clearing in the past, has considerable reforestation in recent years. Understanding these processes is critical for policymakers working on climate change and adaptation. This research allows us to link national-scale and local-scale analyses, in terms of both their similarities and differences, and also to see changes still in progress via the inclusion of regrowth and degradation classes, not just reforestation and deforestation. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/826 Files in this item: 1
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Cassidy, L.; Binford, M.; Southworth, J.; Barnes, G. (Taylor & Francis, October 23, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: The trend of land cover (LC) and land cover change (LCC), both in time and space, was investigated at the Simen Mountains National Park (SMNP), a World Heritage Site located in northern Ethiopia, between 1984 and 2003 using Geographical Information System (GIS) and remote sensing (RS). The objective of the study was to generate spatially and temporally quantified information on land cover dynamics, providing the basis for policy/decision makers and resource managers to facilitate biodiversity conservation, including wild animals. Two satellite images (Landsat TM of 1984 and Landsat ETM+ of 2003) were acquired and supervised classification was used to categorize LC types. Ground Control Points were obtained in field condition for georeferencing and accuracy assessment. The results showed an increase in the areas of pure forest (Erica species dominated) and shrubland but a decrease in the area of agricultural land over the 20 years. The overall accuracy and the Kappa value of classification results were 88 and 85%, respectively. The spatial setting of the LC classes was heterogeneous and resulted from the biophysical nature of SMNP and anthropogenic activities. Further studies are suggested to evaluate the existing LC and LCC in connection with wildlife habitat, conservation and management of SMNP. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/811 Files in this item: 1
Now showing items 1-2 of 2