Measuring Indicators for Landscape Change in Kon Tum Province, Vietnam
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Modern Environmental Science and Engineering (ISSN 2333-2581) November 2019, Volume 5, No. 11, pp. 1009-1019 Doi: 10.15341/mese(2333-2581)/11.05.2019/004 Academic Star Publishing Company, 2019 www.academicstar.us Measuring Indicators for Landscape Change in Kon Tum Province, Vietnam Lai Vinh Cam, Nguyen Van Hong, Vuong Hong Nhat, Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, Nguyen Phuong Thao, Tran Thi Nhung, and Le Ba Bien Institute of Geography, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Vietnam Abstract: This paper’s aim is concentrated on measuring the difference in landscape visual character as an indicator of landscape change. Seven landscape character indicators are used for calculating in a study area in Kon Tum province, Vietnam; concluding Landscape Shape Index, Aggregation Index, Number of Patches, Patch Density, Patch Cohesion Index, Perimeter - Area Ratio, Percentage of Landscape. This set of indicators proposed in previous research by McGarigal and Marks (1995) and calculated with GIS, Fragstats software. These indicators also express the attributes of the component maps which we used for main input data are land-use map, digital elevation map and soil map. These are the necessary mapping materials for calculating the indicators. In the method is used in this paper, a value for each indicator will be assigned for each observation to capture the character of the landscape. They will be compared with each other and considered changes in the forest, agricultural, artificial and others. This work is replicable and transparent, and constitutes a methodological step for landscape indication, since it adds a reference value for analyzing differences in landscape character. The difference among landscape units is then measured as an indicator of landscape change. The analysis of the difference is used to explain the manmade changes in the landscape. The results show that the difference in landscape character is mainly due to the loss of naturalness and the increase in landscape complexity brought about by agriculture and urban development. Key words: indicators, landscape change, Kon Tum province structure and function over time through their 1. Introduction interaction and mutual influences” [3]. Given this According to the European Landscape Convention circumstance, interdisciplinary landscape change (ELC), “Landscape means an area, as perceived by studies are focused on the causes and effects of people, whose character is the result of the action and land-use and landcover dynamics as well as the interaction of natural and/or human factors” [1]. ecological and social impacts of alternative design, Most of the studies are focused on landscape planning, policy, and management schemes on structure assessment and its quantification using landscapes and regions [3]. various spatial indices; there is also a great number of The landscape is often described as the prime sphere works dealing with the relations between landscape where the interactions of human beings, as well as the structure and biodiversity [2]. The surrounding environment, becomes evident and where the landscape has, especially in recent decades, undergone combined effects of nature, as well as society, becomes relatively dynamic and significant changes [2]. visible. Changes in the environment due to land use can Landscape change can be defined as “the alteration of negatively affect the functioning of the ecosystem These changes have been mainly driven by the Corresponding author: Nguyen Van Hong, Doctor, expansion of agricultural activities and human Researcher; research area/interest: management of resource and settlements [4]. Understanding the impact of land-use environment. E-mail: [email protected]. 1010 Measuring Indicators for Landscape Change in Kon Tum Province, Vietnam change on the environment due to agricultural and requires a holistic approach that integrates both natural urban uses are important to inform government policy. and cultural information. However, it is less common Landscape change has attracted increasing interest to find works that assess changes in landscape because of its impact and close relation to climate character from a holistic point of view. Notable among change, sustainable development, and its impact on these are the Swiss Landscape Monitoring Program food security. There is consequently a pressing need to and the Living Landscapes approach. A set of understand the drivers and causes of landscape change. indicators for the Swiss Landscape Monitoring Driving forces are the forces that cause observed program is divided into physical landscape properties landscape change; processes that influence the and land-use indicators (general, recreational use, evolutionary trajectory of a landscape. The four major agriculture and forestry use), perception indicators driving forces of landscape change, are political, (evolutionarily determined landscape perception, cultural, socioeconomic, and natural or spatial driving culturally determined landscape perception), and forces [4]. indicators relating to legal aspects of landscape The European Landscape Convention ELC states conservation. An approach to LCA that introduces a that the landscape characteristics and the forces and spatial framework based on homogeneous landscape pressures that transform them should be analyzed by units is reflected differences in the natural and cultural noting the changes in the landscape. There is a whole dimensions of landscapes at different scales [11]. body of work on the assessment of landscape change In this paper, we focus on measuring indicators for detection, most of which focuses on land cover change. landscape changes. We compare the current landscape Changes in landscape structure patterns are assessed character and consider changes in the forest, using GIS map-based landscape metrics [5], satellite agricultural, artificial and others. This work provides a images [6,7,8] or a combination of both [6, 9, 10]. methodological step for landscape indication, since it Following A.M. Hersperger et al., on the paper adds a reference value to an existing LCA method to “Evaluating outcomes in planning: Indicators and analyse the differences, and can be used to explain reference values for Swiss landscapes”, a major landscape change. The set of landscape character challenge of landscape-planning evaluation is to select indicators based on GIS techniques, Fragstats sofware. relevant indicators that depict the outcomes of The research area in this paper is Kon Tum province landscape planning.In particular, the indicators have to which is located in the North of Central Highlands fulfil the following criteria: (1) show a clear link region, Vietnam. Kon Tum has common national between indicators and goals; (2) are easily measurable frontiers with Laos PDR, Cambodia (with 280.7 km and sensitive to external change; (3) can capture border length) and is contiguous with three other complex concepts such as landscape aesthetics, provinces in Vietnam. landscape quality and landscape; (4) are representative 2. Material and Methods for a specific geographic region. Unfortunately, constraints in time, money and personal resources often 2.1 Research Area lead to low sampling intensity, and therefore low Kon Tum is a mountainous province located in the informative value and long data series are seldom North of Central Highlands region, Vietnam. This one produced [1]. belongs to seven economic regions in Vietnam. In the It is necessary for natural resource management and western, Kon Tum has common national frontiers with spatial planning to monitor landscape changes over Laos PDR, Cambodia (with 280.7 km border length). time [11]. Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) Kon Tum is also is contiguous with three other Measuring Indicators for Landscape Change in Kon Tum Province, Vietnam 1011 Fig. 1 Map of the research area. provinces in Vietnam: Quang Nam rovince in the North, has two obvious seasons: rain season lasts from April Quang Ngai province in the East and Gia Lai province to Novermber, dry season lasts from December to in the South. March of next year. The annual average rainfall is The total area of Kon Tum is about 9.689,61 square about 2121 mm. kilometres, hold 3 percents of Vietnam’s area. Locating 2.2 Material and Methods in the T-junction of the Indochina, Kon Tum has enough conditions to create border gates and to enlarge The current landscape is characterized by a set of international cooperation to the West. Besides, Kom indicators proposed and calculated with GIS. Tum plays an important strategic position on national Landscape character is assessed by the following defence, ecological environment protection. That’s variables measured with a set of GIS indicators: why Kon Tum can be an economic connection between Landscape Shape Index (LSI), Aggregation Index (AI), the regions and the whole country. Almost parts of Kon Number of Patches (NP), Patch Density (PD), Patch Tum is in the western of Truong Son mountainous Cohesion Index (COHESION), Perimeter - Area Ratio range, its topography is low from the North to the (PARA), Percentage of landscape (PLAND). The South and from the East to the West. In which, hills mapping materials necessary to calculate the indicators are mountains hold about two-fifths of the whole are Digital Elevation Model (DEM), Soil Map and provincial area. The alleys are along Poko river which Land use/Land cover database. is low toward the South. The annual temperature in a The method involves assigning each observation year fluctuates in