// Remote Sensing for Conservation of Tropical moist forests t a study in Indonesia by Robert Myles Warwick-Smith Department of Geography School of Oriental and African Studies A thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Philosophy in the University of London 1985 ProQuest Number: 10731288 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10731288 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 1 ABSTRACT The Indonesian archipelago extends in a great 6000km arc from the northern tip of Sumatra to the eastern border of Irian Jaya. It includes a wide diversity of ecosystems ranging from the floristically rich and economically important lowland tropical rain forests to the 'moss' and sub-alpine meadows of the higher mountains and from fresh-water swamp forest to the dry monsoon forest and savanna woodlands of the lesser Sunda islands-. These forests are of importance for the protection of watersheds and catchment areas, for the maintenance of water supplies, and for their general and local influence upon climate. They are the habitat of a large number of rare, endangered and endemic plant and animal species; also many other birds, mammals, reptiles and insects which form a colourful, scientifi­ cally valuable and irreplaceable part of the national heritage and world genetic resources. This study examines an area of great ecological importance in Sulawesi, and an attempt is made to map a number of ecosystems in the area. Landsat multi- spectral imagery (1972) was the basis of the mapping and field work was completed in 1980. The satellite imagery proved to be a satisfactory mapping tool in these tropical moist forest conditions. 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Without the considerable support provided by the expedition Operation Drake, this study could not have been attempted. I am particularly indebted for assistance in the field to Mr Erla Wardhana, Mr Dedy Darnaedi, Mr Arie Budiman, Mr Lukman Effendi and Mr Richard Tarlov. I would also like to thank Dr Keith McLachlan r Dr Tony< Allan, Mr Philip Stott and Mr John Latham for their advice and encouragement. With regard to the computer processing of the data, I am grateful to the generous support provided by the Royal Airforce Establishment, Farnborough. I thank the people of the villages of Lappanga Matube and Morowali for their kind hospitality. SECTION CONTENTS PAGE NUMBER 1 * INTRODUCTION 1*1 Scope of the study 11 1*2 Tropical moist forests of the world - current status 12 1*3 The conservation values of tropical moist ecosystems 13 1 The conservation of tropical moist forests 1 * 5 The possible effects of the removal of substantial areas of tropical moist forest 15 Modification of climate 1 5 The irreversible nature of destructionl 6 Reduction of genetic diversity 16 Effects on the soil 16 Water and catchment protection 17 1*6 Conservation planning in Indonesia 17 Re commenda tlon s 19 1*7 Conservation planning in Sulawesi 25 Introduction 25 Lore Kalamanta National Park: 27 Gunung Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve 28 Dumoga Bone Nature Reserve 28 Rawa Qpa/Watuxnohal Nature Reserve 29 b SECTION CONTENTS PAGE NUMBER 1.8 Conclusions 29 2. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY AREA 31 2.1 Proposed boundaries 3*+ 2.2 Climatology 36 Air temperature 36 Relative^ iW 'ij i .i 1 ■ ift ■ I 'i i^ r i i i i i ii 1 ri humidity-• i i<« r n >T.'J 36 Wind speed and direction 37 Sunshine and radiation 37 Rainfall data 37 Areal distribution 38 2.3 General physiography 39 Formation of the Morowali delta 39 2*b Water resources and potentially irrigable land b$ Morowali and Ula-Solato plain *+5 Landforms and soils b$ Water resources potential 51 Solato and Ula 51 Tlworo 52 Morowali 53 20 5 Conclusions 53 3. INTRODUCTION TO THE LITERATURE 55 3.1 Surveys negated by cloud cover/inadequate Landsat cover 55 3«2 Forest surveys using visual interpretation of Landsat imagery 55 5 SECTION CONTENTS PAGE NUMBER Forest mapping of Brasil using 1 a 1 million black and white prints % Deforestation monitoring in Brazil % Forest mapping and deforestation monitoring; in Thailand 56 Forest mapping in Bolivia 57 Interpretation of vegetation t.vnes in Brazil using 1 s1 million black and white diapositives 57 Forest type mapping in India using colour composite and black and white prints 58 Vegetation mapping in the tropics ui i*r—i sing ii i i i imiIbI milna1 1' HIs1 ¥i m iiiii w inmillion n n i i i i in i u n~i —icolour r ' ~i ~i i t ti ~ m iTTcomposite i r iiln— T n n --------1 prints 58 3 ,3 The use of computer analysis of digital Landsat data for forest surveys 58 Forest type mapping in India by computer classification 58 Mangrove forest mapping in Bangladesh bv computer classification 59 Forest mapping over the entire Plantation mapping in Brazil by computer classification 60 6 SECTION CONTENTS PAGE NUMBER Forest and land use mapping in Indonesia by computer classification 60 Forest type mapping In Peru by visual interpretation and computer classification 61 Deforestation monitoring in Thailand by computer classification 62 Mapping mangrove forest in Thailand by computer classification 62 Mapping Araucaria stands in Brazil by the computer display of enhanced digital data 63 3*** Conclusions 63 k* REMOTE SENSING METHODOLOGY USED IN THE STUDY AREA 65 *+, 1 Aerial photographs and satellite imagery of the study area 65 *4-.2 Processing of the data 70 Enhancement techniques 7? Preliminary classification 83 Ground checking 83 Morowali river area 93 Ranu rivermouth area 96 y SECTION CONTENTS PAGE NUMBER Kekeva surrounds 96 *+.5 Conclusions 98 5. FINAL COMPUTER PROCESSING OF THE IMAGERY 101 5«1 Introduction 101 5.2 Supervised computer classification 101 5*3 Colour additive enlarging and printing of the hard copy 103 5.*+ Final interpretation and classification 10*+ 5«5 The vegetation classification 108 The proposed classification of land cover/land u se for Indonesia 111 5*6 Conclusions 132 6* REFERENCES 136 8 NUMBER FIGURES PAGE NUMBER 1• Indonesia - location map of existing and proposed conservation areas 22 2o Lines suggested for separating Oriental and Australian faunal regions 1863 - 1910 26 3* Location of study area in Sulawesi 32 Proposed Morowali Nature Reserve 33 5. Lit ho logy and groundwater potential *t0 6» Reconnaissance landform map h6 7® Aerial photograph mosaic vegetation map 67 8* Preliminary vegetation classification 8^ 9 . Location of transect lines and training sites 86 10o Vegetation map of the Matube area 88 NUMBER TABLES PAGE NUMBER 1* Lithology and groundwater potential M 2, Description of llthologieal units *+2 3* Potential land suitability of the landforms of the Morowali and Ula-Solato plains 50 ^ Land cover/Land use classification 113 5* Definitions of land cover/land use classes 119 6, A few definitions related to multiple cropping 130 9 1® Aerial photograph uncontrolled mosaic of the Morowali plain 66 2® Aerial photograph of the Morowali river delta 69 3<> Aerial photograph of the Rami rivermouth 69 V* Photograph of 1s1 million scale Landsat MSS band h 71 % Photograph of 1s1 million scale Landsat MSS band $ 72 6. Photograph of 1:1 million scale Landsat MSS band 6 73 7. Photograph of 1s1 million scale Landsat MSS band 7 7^ 8® Processed image used for field checking 79 9* Experimental unsupervised classification 79 10® Processed image used for field checking 82 11. Lowland monsoon forest 89 12. Swamp forest 90 13« Mangrove forest 91 11*-. Lappanga Matube 91 15o Braided channel of the Morowali river 8km upstream 95 16® Cobble beds along the Morowali river 97 17* Kekeya clearing 99 10 NUMBER PHOTOGRAPHS PAGE NUMBER 18* Golour additive cibachrome print - northern area 10 ? 19* Colour additive cibachrome print - southern area 10 ? 20* Controlled 70 mm used for enlargement to 1;100,000 scale - northern area « band b 106 21* Controlled 70 mm used for enlargement to 1;100,000 scale - northern area - band J 106 22* Controlled 70 mm used for enlargement to 1s100,000 scale - northern area - band 7 106 23* Controlled 70 mm used for enlargement to 1s100,000 scale - southern area - band b 107 2b-® Controlled 70 mm used for enlargement to 1s100,000 scale - southern area - band 5 107 2J« Controlled 70 mm used for enlargement to 1s100,000 scale - southern area - band 7 107 26® Vegetation map of the Morowali area 109 11 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Scope of the Study The intention of the research was twofold. First, to see if computer processed digital LANDSAT imagery could be used to map accurately land cover and vegetation associations in this tropical environment,and secondly, if the results proved to be accurate to produce a map at a scale of 1:100.,0 00. The study area, some 200,000ha, was at the time of the initiation of the study, under consideration as a potential nature reserve, with possible future development as a National Park. However, there were conflicting claims for the land (timber concessions, possible mineral extraction, transmigration project), and the Central Planning Consultancy in Jakarta (CPC) recommended that no decisions be made on the future of the area until extensive vegetation, ecological, biological, zoological and marine studies had been made.