Gis based analysis of forest cover change, the case of limmu seka woreda, jimma zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

The objective of this study was GIS based Analysis of Forest Cover Change in Limmu Seka Woreda, South West Ethiopia. The major data for this study were obtained from three successive Landsat satellite images of 1994, 2004 and 2014. GPS based ground information and socio economic surveys to identify the extent and rate of forest cover change in the last 20 years were assessed. The most important technical works for the study were geo referencing, satellite image enhancement, classification and forest cover change detection analysis. The result of change detection analysis revealed that the area has shown a remarkable land cover/land use changes in general and forest cover Change in particular during the last 20 years. As of the information obtained from satellite images Forest cover declined from 62162.73ha in 1994 to 43957.89ha in 2004 and 39733.03 ha in the year 2014. The annual rate of forest cover change between 1994 and 2014 was 36ha/year. The socioeconomic factors like population growth, the demand for the expansion of agricultural land, fuel wood and construction materials were the major driving forces for the observed forest cover changes. As of the information obtained from the local community the productivity of the land in the last two decades has been declining. Therefore, in order to minimize the problem of forest cover change participatory forest management policy and afforestation and reforestation must be applied .In addition, improving land productivity should also be required.