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Development of National Database on Long-term Deforestation in Sri Lanka

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Abstract

Sri Lanka is one of the biodiversity hotspots of the world. This study has utilized satellite remote sensing and GIS techniques to generate a nation-wide database on forests, forest types and land use/land cover of Sri Lanka. Spatial assessment of forest cover changes was carried out for the periods 1976–1985, 1985–1994, 1994–2005 and 2005–2014. The landscape fragmentation analysis has carried out to calculate the spatial and temporal patterns of forest. Land use/land cover map was prepared representing seven classes in 2014. The plantations occupy a large area (34.2%) followed by forests (33.4%) and agriculture (26.1%) in 2014. During the period of 1976–2014, the forest has been decreased by 5.5%. From 1976 to 1985 forest recorded a loss at an annual rate of 0.49%. This annual rate decreased to 0.01% during 2005–2014 indicates declining trend of deforestation and effective conservation measures. The study found deforestation hotspots in south east and northern most parts of the Sri Lanka. Total number of patches estimated has increased from 15193 in 1976 to 16136 in 2014. The study has found that main causes of deforestation in Sri Lanka were due to expansion of agriculture and plantations. The extent of change detected in the study through geospatial techniques has significance to the forest ecology and management of natural landscapes in Sri Lanka.

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Acknowledgements

The present work has been carried out as part of ISRO’s National Carbon Project. We gratefully acknowledge ISRO-DOS Geosphere Biosphere Programme for supporting this research. Thanks to anonymous reviewers for critical comments helped to improve the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forestry and Ecology Group, National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation, Balanagar, Hyderabad, 500 037, India

    C. Sudhakar Reddy, G. Manaswini, C. S. Jha, P. G. Diwakar & V. K. Dadhwal

  2. Indian Space Research Organisation, Antariksh Bhavan, New BEL Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560 231, India

    P. G. Diwakar

  3. Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695 547, India

    V. K. Dadhwal

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  1. C. Sudhakar Reddy
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  2. G. Manaswini
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  3. C. S. Jha
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  4. P. G. Diwakar
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  5. V. K. Dadhwal
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Correspondence to C. Sudhakar Reddy.

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Sudhakar Reddy, C., Manaswini, G., Jha, C.S. et al. Development of National Database on Long-term Deforestation in Sri Lanka. J Indian Soc Remote Sens 45, 825–836 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-016-0636-8

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