Monitoringdeforestation Forest Degradation Area,Myanmar
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JapanJapanSociety Society ofForestPlanningof Forest Planning 63 ArticLe Monitoring Deforestation and Forest Degradation .m the Bago Mountain Area, Myanmar using FCD Mapper Myat Su Mon'i, Tsuyoshi Kajisa'2, NobuyaMizoue"Z and Shigejiro Ybshida"2 ABSTRACT Wliile deforestation in the tropics has been well mapped, there is Iittle infbrmation on the extent and changes of forest degradation. IIhis $tudy aimed te investigate teunporal and $patial patterns of both deforestation and forest degradation in three re$erved forests of the central Bago mountain ranges, Myanmar, which have a long history of selective logging activities. We used Forest Canopy Density (FCD) Mapper and Landsat images C1989, 1999, 2003, and 2006) for the investigation, Over 17 years, more than 90% of the total area was kept as forests, deimed as FCD ) 10%, but closed canopy forests (FZ D z 70%) greatly decreased from 98% to 53% of the total area. Medium canopy forests (40% s FCI) < 70%) and open canepy forests (10% f FCD < 40%) increased. Gross forest degradation (ehange to ]ower FCD) was much larger than gross forest irnprovement (change to higher FCD) for all sites and periods, whereas differences in gross deforestation Cforest to non-forest) and gross reforestation (non-forest to forest) were relatively smal1. As a result, a high annual net forest degradatlon rate of 2.5% was observed, although the annual net deforestation rate was relatively lew at O.2% betw'een 1989 and 2006. 0ur findings on higher forest degradation throw the question about the sustainahility of current harvesting levels of selective logging andlor extraction of non-wood forest preducts and shiding cultivation by lecal communities if no conservation or remedial measures are taken. This study revealed the importance of monitoring deforestation and forest degradation as well as the usefulness of the FCD Mapper. Kdwo"ds:FCD Mappeg Iandsat images,deforestation, forest degradation, reforestation, forest improvement for planning and sustainable management oi forests (PAwm et INTRODUCTION al., 2008) Deforestation is loss of forest cover by conversion of Tropical forests are critical to the balance of economical, forests to other land cover types (FAO,2000, 2005); it can ecological, and environmental factors on our planet because of be relatively easily identified, Howeve4 identifying forest their high diversity. However, forests in the tropics are degradation, i.e., reduction in capacity of a forest or canopy depleting at an alarming rate, thus leading te forest cover and stocking within the forest to provide goocls and degradation and deforestatio,n that have been threatening services anO, 2000, 2005), is a subtle process (SouzA JR et al,, future sustainability CthiRozacE et al., 1999; RuDEL and RopER, 2003; P,4NTA et al., 2008). Forest degradation also represents 1997; I.AuRANcE, 1999, 2007; PANiA et al., 2008). Therefore, loss of various environmenta1 functions of the forest, thus identifying forest degradation and deforestatiorr at different being simjlar to deforestation. While deforestatiun has been spatial and tennporal scales could provide useful information widely emphasized and analyzed in a large number oi studies '! Corresponding author: Myat Su Mon Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University " Laboratory of Forest of Maoagement,Department 812-8581,Laboratory Forest Management Forest Forest of and ProductsSciences,Graduate Kyushu University, 6-10-1 I'Iakozaki, Higashi-ku, School ef Bioresource arid Bioenvironmeiita1 Fukuoka,Japan Sciences, Kyushu University Tbl: +81-92-642-2867, Fax: +81-92-642-2869 Bmai1:[email protected],jp J R)r.Hann,l5:63-Z2C201W NII-Electronic Library Service JapanJapanSociety Society ofForestPlanningof Forest Planning 64 fldon et al. ttsjng satellite remote sensing (ARMENil]RAs et al,, 2006; IELE the tota] land area, in mainlancl Southeast Asia (FAO, 2005). and JosHI, 2008; PtFyRAIokuD, 2003), the extent and rate of forest These forests are important sources ef biodiversity Myanmar degradation have not been well documented (SiJNDEMjN and will faee serious problems in the very near future becau$e of REsosuDARMo, 1996; SouzA et al., 2003; JosHI et al., 2006; PAtwm its high deforestation rate, i.e., 1,3% per year for 1990-2000 and et al,, 2008). 1.4% per year for 2eOe-2oo5 (FAO, 2005). Forest cover Remotely sensed estimation o'f forest canopy density assessment in Myanmar has been mainly based on combined (FCD) has been used to a$sess the level of forest degradation use of RS, geographical information systems (GIS), and et al,, 1986; PklNcE, 1987; kNGRosE and ManIEsoN, CIt[wARI'Foimu] ground forestinventoryon natiollal and regional scales. 1986; and CAsEy, 1988; lg.EINN, 2001; Hiu)i et at., 2004; LEIMGRuBER et al. (2005) performed estirnation of forest cover Josm et al,, 2006; PANTA 2008), Measuring the extent of and focused en deforestation assessrnent throughout the forest degradation is much more difficult than measuring country Howeveg there is dearth of detail and updated deforestation CDEFIREs et al., 2007). FCD Mapper (RIKIMARu,as$essment on forest degradation, which makes it difficult for 1996) i$ one of the rnetheds used to quantify FCD as a resource p]aTmers and decision-makers to implement effective continuous variable from O to 100% UosHT et al,, 2e06), [[he conservation strategies for the remaining forest resources. results of FCD mapping give the stratification of iorest cover [Ihis study aims to evaluate spatial and temporal patterns of and therefere otitputs is reliable to assess both forest forest degr'adatien and deforestation, using the FCD Mapper degradation and deforestation. The main advantage of using and multi-temporal Landsat irnages in three reserved forests ef FCD Mapper is to eliminate the need to undertake time the central Bago mountain ranges, Myanmar, consuming of field measurement of FCD using densitometer or hemispherical photograph (RIKJmxu et al., 2002; MATERIALS AND ME[VHODS CHANDRAsHEKHAR et al., 2005; BrwEs, 2007; AzrzI et al., 2e08), which is necessary in other remote sensing (RS) technologies, Study Site such as artificial neural network, multiple llnear regressien and maximurn 1ikelihood classfication method. Altheugh FCD The study site was the central region of the Bago Mupper has been applied in dffferent forest types in tropical mountain ranges consisting of three reserved forests (Illls), regions, very few studies have attempted te monitor changes namely Khapaung, Middle Nawin, and South Nawin RFs, '[he in forest degradation status using FCD Mapper (PANTA, 2003; covering an area ef 1,074km2, Bago mountain ranges Roy, 2004I JAMNIy3AI), 2004) . located in the eentral part of lower Myamnar (Fig. 1), running Myanmar still has the largest forest coveg almost 5096 of from north to south, have renowned natural teak (Tlectona "J."J:,,･f"glM"''i ;v" ?. l c' g './ Legendf'] t/1 ,N' 'iL'r / v-f) I Myanmar ,/L,:i!1' i? ･I. -. ,hJ , {//{/i',l///･,/l/, Bago mountain ranges F.k,,yv'ynr;ill'/://i･ Study area =.-F Road i I [fown iIIS11'i" e FCDmeasuredplots // t ", H 'X.h //･ W"E " ,ts l t tt tt(C) "t... "L .zh,"'t' k. "tst, [[l},ungeoh ')'. "'X 1,, ,x, .e' ".e #'","k tif i'""ts'-e"i'.7oaktwil\ d..s'' ntre..--.-X .et't //' j"' .,--i' l 3e ]5- o 30kmXk,} " l f.,.if.･n" e hfi q'bi-"･.,..,.S lit : Fig, 1 Location of stucty sites: (a) Khapaung, (b) Middle Nawin, and (cl South Nawin reserved forests and sample plots measured FCD NII-Electronic Library Service JapanJapanSociety Society ofForestof Forest Planning A4bnitoring Dojiorestation and Fbrest DagTadation in the BagoMountain Area, JV{yanmar ttsing FCD MtiPPer 65 grandis) bearing forests. Altitude ratiges from sc to 6oom Tl{EiN et ai,, 2007), above sea level, The $tudy areas mainly hacl an castern or a Over the last three decades, commercial forest plantations western aspect. Occurrence of rainfa11 varies in intensity;have been established in the three RFs. However., some older clepending upon the time of year; it is different between plantations in the Khapaung ru-' have already been exploited regions, According to some of the nearest meteorolegical because of the construetion of the Khapaung dam, In 2004, the stations, ayerage annual rainfall was 1,917mrn for eastern parts Ministry of Forestry implemented a special afforestation and 1,O09mm for western parts during 1995 and 2006. Alluvial,project called the Bago Ybma Greening Project with the airn of red-brown forest. soil and lateritic soil are comrnon in the conserving and protecting the remaining forest resources. three RFs. Forest type occurred in the study area was commonly mixed deciduous forests, which are by iar the Procedures of FCD Mapper most important forests in Myanmar. Under mixed deciduous '[he forest types, moist upper mixed deciduous forest (MUMD) FCD Mappeg a semi-expert system was developed by and dry upper mixed deciduous forest (DUMD) are widely the International Tropical Timber Organization and Japan distributed depending upon topography of the area. MUMD is Overseas Forestry Consultants Association alld it produces characterized by the presence of bamboos, Bamb"sa FCD with the range ef O to 100% (kKipsiARu, 1996; kKiMARu and 'lhis Polymompha and dmhatostacdyuTn Pergraciie. forest type Miyrvn4KE, 199n. Ihis comprises biophysical phenomenon occurs on well-grained slopes and goed quality soil, These modeling and analysis, utilizing data derived from four indices: forests contain the finest teak (Z grandis), usually associated I. vegetation index (VJ), selected from the normalized with pyjnkado oolia aylocampa) and DiPterocarPus species. difference vegetation index (NDVI), advanced DUMD is characterized by the presence of bamboo vegetation index CAVD or advaiiced normalized Dendrocalamus strictus and occurs on ridge tops and hot vegetation index (ANVI), aspects. Bambzasa tulda is also found in stiff $oil type of DUMD II, bare soil index (BSD, deRMoDE, 19ou), Characteristic tree species of DUMD are III, shadow index (SI), and very similar to that ef MUMD. Economically important IVI thermal index ffI), species such as teak (T grandis), pyinkado (X xylocampa), These four indices are calculated as new irnages from the raw padauk (Pterocamp"s macrocamp"s), tauklryan (1lerminaliaLanclsat bands 1-7.