Assessment of Land Use Land Cover and Dominant Forest Cover Along Altitudinal Gradient of Bageshwar District, Kumaon Himalaya, India

摘要

Study of forest resources of any region or country is essential requirement for sustainable growth and development of forest ecosystem. Assessment of forest resources of any particular region will help us to know the actual status of the ecosystem. Realizing the importance of forest resources, the present study was conducted to analyze the major forest types with their composition and distribution based on spectral reflectance using Landsat 8 data along altitudinal gradient of Bageshwar District, Kumaon Himalaya. In the study area, this is the first time to identify and classify the dominant forest tree species with spectral reflectance which overcome the conventional field survey method. The study area was classified into 5 major land use land cover classes which include 4 forest classes viz. Mixed Deciduous Forest, Pine Forest, Mixed Pine Forest and High Altitude Mixed Forest and all other classes into one as Non-Forest class which include Snow Cover, Scrubs, Agriculture, Settlement and Dry RiverBed. The study area contributes about 72% forest area and 28% non-forestarea. Among the 4 forest classes, pure pine forest is the dominant forest class ranges from 1300 MSL to 2300 MSL and occupied 39% of total forest cover followed by high altitude mixed forest ranges from 2400 MSL to 3600 MSL and occupied 28% of forest cover, mixed pine forest ranges from 1300 MSL to 2400 MSL and occupied 27% of forest cover and the least is the mixed deciduous forest ranges from 677 MSL to 1300 MSL and occupied 6% of forest cover. The dominant tree species of whole forest cover is the Pinus roxburghii (Chir Pine) occurred in both pine forest and mixed pine forest followed by Quercus spp. (Oak) dominant in mixed pine forest and high altitude mixed forest. The analysis of forest class area at different aspects shows that both mixed deciduous forest and mixed pine forest has a similar pattern in distribution, maximum at southern aspect followed by eastern aspect and least at northern aspect. But in the case of pine forest, distribution pattern is completely opposite when compared with both above mention forest classes. The distribution pattern of high altitude mixed forest shows more or less equal distribution patterns at all the aspects. The study illustrate the capabilities of Landsat 8 data spectral reflectance of vegetation in identification and distribution of dominant forest species along altitudinal gradient and create database for mapping, species specific estimation of biomass and carbon pool at large area.