Endangered Dry Deciduous Forests of Upper Myanmar (Burma): a Multi-Scale Approach for Research and Conservation
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ABSTRACT Title of Document: ENDANGERED DRY DECIDUOUS FORESTS OF UPPER MYANMAR (BURMA): A MULTI-SCALE APPROACH FOR RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION Melissa A. Songer, Doctor of Philosophy, 2006 Directed By: Dr. Ruth S. DeFries Department of Geography Tropical dry forests are critically endangered and largely unprotected ecosystem. I used a multi-scale research approach to study Upper Myanmar’s dry deciduous forests. At the broad scale I assessed how well existing land cover data can be used to map and monitor dry forests, and estimated the extent, distribution, and level of protection of these forests. At the landscape level I assessed spatial and temporal dynamics of deforestation in and around a dry forest protected area, Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS), investigated land use pressures driving these changes, and evaluated effectiveness of protection efforts within the sanctuary. At the local scale I studied the degree to which people rely on dry forests for subsistence and the socioeconomic variables correlated with dependence on forest products. Using MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data to delineate remaining dry deciduous forests, I found that only 24,000 km2 of this forest type remain in Upper Myanmar—only 4% inside protected areas. At 81% accuracy, this map scored higher than existing global and regional land cover classifications for predicting dry forest. Employing satellite images covering the landscape in and around CWS (Landsat MSS, TM, ETM+ and ASTER) between the years 1973-2005 , I found that 62% of forest was lost (1.93% annual rate) primarily from agricultural conversion and hydroelectric development. Sanctuary protection has been effective in slowing decline: loss rates inside CWS were 0.49% annually (16% total). However, forest inside the sanctuary is still declining at a rate above the global average and shows evidence of impact from forest product extraction around the boundaries. Based on interviews with 784 people living in 28 subsistence-based agricultural communities located in and around CWS, I found virtually all survey respondents depended on CWS for food, medicine, housing materials, and, above all, fuelwood. Poverty and socioeconomic limitations drive extractive activities. While CWS has been effective in slowing deforestation rates, alternative use strategies that benefit people will improve prospects for long-term conservation in the area. My results demonstrate that a multi-scaled research approach is essential for understanding the drivers impacting the rapidly-declining dry forests of Upper Myanmar. ENDANGERED DRY DECIDUOUS FORESTS OF UPPER MYANMAR (BURMA): A MULTI-SCALE APPROACH FOR RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION By Melissa A. Songer Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2006 Advisory Committee: Dr. Ruth S. DeFries, Chair Dr. James M. Dietz Dr. Martha E. Geores Dr. Eric S. Kasischke Dr. Peter Leimgruber © Copyright by Melissa A. Songer 2006 Dedication For my partner Chris – thanks for everything ii Acknowledgements This research would not have been successful without the help of many people. First, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Ruth DeFries, for her encouragement and guidance through this process. She has given me independence while managing to keep me focused and on track. I would also like to thank committee members Drs. Martha Geores, Eric Kasischke, and Jim Dietz for their support. Dr. Maile Neel provided valuable input in the development of my dissertation plan. I thank Peter Leimgruber for helping me believe I could do this, and for his unwavering enthusiasm and support. As director of the Conservation GIS Lab at the Smithsonian Conservation and Research Center, he made it possible for me to incorporate my dissertation research as a part of my work with the Lab, as well as providing funding for the research. I thank past and present interns of the Lab for helping with lab operations so I could take time to pursue my degree. Chris Wemmer, Kate Christen and Briony Senior provided me with helpful edits and comments along the way. This project would not have been possible without my colleagues in Myanmar. I thank U Myint Aung, Khaing Khaing Swe, and Thida Oo, for sharing their knowledge and experiences, in addition to all their invaluable assistance in the field. I thank Lyin Lyin Myint, Thin Thin Naing, Myint Myint Soe, and Tin Moe Swe for their help at Kinsan camp and the rest of the Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary staff for their amazing spirit and dedication to protecting the sanctuary. I thank U Uga and Daw Thandar Kyi for their help wading through the bureaucracy and for providing other key logistical support at the SICAS office in Yangon. My friends in Myanmar are always in inspiration to me. iii Last but not least, I thank my family for their support and encouragement throughout my life. iv Table of Contents Dedication........................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements............................................................................................................iii Table of Contents................................................................................................................ v List of Tables ...................................................................................................................viii List of Figures.................................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................... 1 Research Goals and Objectives................................................................................... 1 Background ................................................................................................................. 3 Threats to Dry Forests................................................................................................. 4 Importance of Dry Forests for Rural Populations and Global Biodiversity ............... 5 Dry Forests, Protected Areas, and People................................................................... 8 Mapping Tropical Dry Forests.................................................................................. 10 Remote Sensing Tools .............................................................................................. 11 Dry Forests of Myanmar........................................................................................... 13 Dissertation Organization ......................................................................................... 15 Chapter 2: Using MODIS NDVI Data Products to Map Dry Deciduous Forests in Upper Myanmar (Burma) ............................................................................................................ 17 Abstract......................................................................................................................... 17 Introduction................................................................................................................... 18 Methods......................................................................................................................... 20 Study Area ................................................................................................................ 20 Dry Forest Classification .......................................................................................... 23 Accuracy Assessment ............................................................................................... 29 Comparisons with Existing Regional Land Cover Maps.......................................... 31 Protection, Deforestation, and Fragmentation of Dry Deciduous Forests................ 33 Results........................................................................................................................... 33 Remaining Dry Deciduous Forest............................................................................. 33 Protection and Fragmentation................................................................................... 39 Discussion..................................................................................................................... 41 Status of Dry Deciduous Forest in Upper Myanmar ................................................ 41 Mapping Dry Deciduous Forests from Existing Land Cover Data........................... 43 v Dry Deciduous Forest Definitions ............................................................................ 43 Canopy Densities and Classification Techniques..................................................... 45 Satellite Imagery and Ground Truthing .................................................................... 46 Implications for Conservation....................................................................................... 48 Remaining Dry Forests of Upper Myanmar ............................................................. 48 Remote Sensing and Conservation ........................................................................... 49 Chapter 3: Spatial and Temporal Deforestation Dynamics in Protected and Unprotected Dry Forests: A Case Study from Myanmar (Burma)........................................................ 51 Abstract........................................................................................................................