This study comprehensively assessed long-term vegetation changes and forest fragmentation dynamics in the Himalayan temperate region of Pakistan from 1989 to 2019.Four satellite images,including Landsat-5 TM and Lands...This study comprehensively assessed long-term vegetation changes and forest fragmentation dynamics in the Himalayan temperate region of Pakistan from 1989 to 2019.Four satellite images,including Landsat-5 TM and Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager(OLI),were chosen for subsequent assessments in October 1989,2001,2011 and 2019.The classified maps of 1989,2001,2011 and 2019 were created using the maximum likelihood classifier.Post-classification comparison showed an overall accuracy of 82.5%and a Kappa coefficient of 0.79 for the 2019 map.Results revealed a drastic decrease in closed-canopy and open-canopy forests by 117.4 and 271.6 km^(2),respectively,and an increase in agriculture/farm cultivation by 1512.8 km^(2).The two-way ANOVA test showed statistically significant differences in the area of various cover classes.Forest fragmentation was evaluated using the Landscape Fragmentation Tool(LFT v2.0)between 1989 and 2019.The large forest core(>2.00 km^(2))decreased from 149.4 to 296.7 km^(2),and a similar pattern was observed in medium forest core(1.00-2.00 km^(2))forests.On the contrary,the small core(<1.00 km^(2))forest increased from 124.8 to 145.3 km^(2) in 2019.The perforation area increased by 296.9 km^(2),and the edge effect decreased from 458.9 to 431.7 km^(2).The frequency of patches also increased by 119.1 km^(2).The closed and open canopy classes showed a decreasing trend with an annual rate of 0.58%and 1.35%,respectively.The broad implications of these findings can be seen in the studied region as well as other global ecological areas.They serve as an imperative baseline for afforestation and reforestation operations,highlighting the urgent need for efficient management,conservation,and restoration efforts.Based on these findings,sustainable land-use policies may be put into place that support local livelihoods,protect ecosystem services,and conserve biodiversity.展开更多
Soil erosion is a crucial geo-environmental hazard worldwide that affects water quality and agriculture,decreases reservoir storage capacity due to sedimentation,and increases the danger of flooding and landslides.Thu...Soil erosion is a crucial geo-environmental hazard worldwide that affects water quality and agriculture,decreases reservoir storage capacity due to sedimentation,and increases the danger of flooding and landslides.Thus,this study uses geospatial modeling to produce soil erosion susceptibility maps(SESM)for the Hangu region,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa(KPK),Pakistan.The Hangu region,located in the Kohat Plateau of KPK,Pakistan,is particularly susceptible to soil erosion due to its unique geomorphological and climatic characteristics.Moreover,the Hangu region is characterized by a combination of steep slopes,variable rainfall patterns,diverse land use,and distinct soil types,all of which contribute to the complexity and severity of soil erosion processes.These factors necessitate a detailed and region-specific study to develop effective soil conservation strategies.In this research,we detected and mapped 1013 soil erosion points and prepared 12 predisposing factors(elevation,aspect,slope,Normalized Differentiate Vegetation Index(NDVI),drainage network,curvature,Land Use Land Cover(LULC),rainfall,lithology,contour,soil texture,and road network)of soil erosion using GIS platform.Additionally,GIS-based statistical models like the weight of evidence(WOE)and frequency ratio(FR)were applied to produce the SESM for the study area.The SESM was reclassified into four classes,i.e.,low,medium,high,and very high zone.The results of WOE for SESM show that 16.39%,33.02%,29.27%,and 21.30%of areas are covered by low,medium,high,and very high zones,respectively.In contrast,the FR results revealed that 16.50%,24.33%,35.55%,and 23.59%of the areas are occupied by low,medium,high,and very high classes.Furthermore,the reliability of applied models was evaluated using the Area Under Curve(AUC)technique.The validation results utilizing the area under curve showed that the success rate curve(SRC)and predicted rate curve(PRC)for WOE are 82%and 86%,respectively,while SRC and PRC for FR are 85%and 96%,respectively.The validation results revealed that the FR model performance is better and more reliable than the WOE.展开更多
Most forest fires in the Margalla Hills are related to human activities and socioeconomic factors are essential to assess their likelihood of occurrence.This study considers both environmental(altitude,precipitation,f...Most forest fires in the Margalla Hills are related to human activities and socioeconomic factors are essential to assess their likelihood of occurrence.This study considers both environmental(altitude,precipitation,forest type,terrain and humidity index)and socioeconomic(population density,distance from roads and urban areas)factors to analyze how human behavior affects the risk of forest fires.Maximum entropy(Maxent)modelling and random forest(RF)machine learning methods were used to predict the probability and spatial diffusion patterns of forest fires in the Margalla Hills.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and the area under the ROC curve(AUC)were used to compare the models.We studied the fire history from 1990 to 2019 to establish the relationship between the probability of forest fire and environmental and socioeconomic changes.Using Maxent,the AUC fire probability values for the 1999 s,2009 s,and 2019 s were 0.532,0.569,and 0.518,respectively;using RF,they were 0.782,0.825,and 0.789,respectively.Fires were mainly distributed in urban areas and their probability of occurrence was related to accessibility and human behaviour/activity.AUC principles for validation were greater in the random forest models than in the Maxent models.Our results can be used to establish preventive measures to reduce risks of forest fires by considering socio-economic and environmental conditions.展开更多
Mapping and monitoring the distribution of croplands and crop types support policymakers and international organizations by reducing the risks to food security,notably from climate change and,for that purpose,remote s...Mapping and monitoring the distribution of croplands and crop types support policymakers and international organizations by reducing the risks to food security,notably from climate change and,for that purpose,remote sensing is routinely used.However,identifying specific crop types,cropland,and cropping patterns using space-based observations is challenging because different crop types and cropping patterns have similarity spectral signatures.This study applied a methodology to identify cropland and specific crop types,including tobacco,wheat,barley,and gram,as well as the following cropping patterns:wheat-tobacco,wheat-gram,wheat-barley,and wheat-maize,which are common in Gujranwala District,Pakistan,the study region.The methodology consists of combining optical remote sensing images from Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 with Machine Learning(ML)methods,namely a Decision Tree Classifier(DTC)and a Random Forest(RF)algorithm.The best time-periods for differentiating cropland from other land cover types were identified,and then Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 NDVI-based time-series were linked to phenological parameters to determine the different crop types and cropping patterns over the study region using their temporal indices and ML algorithms.The methodology was subsequently evaluated using Landsat images,crop statistical data for 2020 and 2021,and field data on cropping patterns.The results highlight the high level of accuracy of the methodological approach presented using Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 images,together with ML techniques,for mapping not only the distribution of cropland,but also crop types and cropping patterns when validated at the county level.These results reveal that this methodology has benefits for monitoring and evaluating food security in Pakistan,adding to the evidence base of other studies on the use of remote sensing to identify crop types and cropping patterns in other countries.展开更多
In this research,we used the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation(RUSLE)and Geographical Information System(GIS)to predict the annual rate of soil loss in the District Chakwal of Pakistan.The parameters of the RUSLE m...In this research,we used the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation(RUSLE)and Geographical Information System(GIS)to predict the annual rate of soil loss in the District Chakwal of Pakistan.The parameters of the RUSLE model were estimated using remote sensing data,and the erosion probability zones were determined using GIs.The estimated length slope(LS),crop management(C),rainfall erosivity(R),soil erodibility(K),and support practice(P)range from 0-68,227,0-66.61%,0-0.58,495.99-648.68 MJ/mm.t.ha^(-1).year^(-1),0.15-0.25 MJ/mm.t.ha^(-1).year^(-1),and 1 respectively.The results indicate that the estimated total annual potential soi loss of approximately 4,67,064.25 t.ha^(-1).year^(-1) is comparable with the measured'sediment ioss of 11,631 t.ha^(-1).year^(-1) during the water year 2020.The predicted soil erosion rate due to an increase in agricultural area is approximately 164,249.31 t.ha^(-1).year^(-1).In this study,we also used,Landsat imagery to rapidly achieve actual land use classification.Meanwhile,38.i3%of the region was threatened by very high soil erosion,where the quantity of soil erosion ranged from 365487.35 t.ha^(-1).year^(-1),Integrating GIS and remote sensing with the RUSLE model helped researchers achieve their final objectives.Land-use planners and decision-makers use the result's spatial distribution of soil erosion in District Chakwal for conservation and management planning.展开更多
基金This research was supported by project number(RSP2024R384)King Saud University,Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.
文摘This study comprehensively assessed long-term vegetation changes and forest fragmentation dynamics in the Himalayan temperate region of Pakistan from 1989 to 2019.Four satellite images,including Landsat-5 TM and Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager(OLI),were chosen for subsequent assessments in October 1989,2001,2011 and 2019.The classified maps of 1989,2001,2011 and 2019 were created using the maximum likelihood classifier.Post-classification comparison showed an overall accuracy of 82.5%and a Kappa coefficient of 0.79 for the 2019 map.Results revealed a drastic decrease in closed-canopy and open-canopy forests by 117.4 and 271.6 km^(2),respectively,and an increase in agriculture/farm cultivation by 1512.8 km^(2).The two-way ANOVA test showed statistically significant differences in the area of various cover classes.Forest fragmentation was evaluated using the Landscape Fragmentation Tool(LFT v2.0)between 1989 and 2019.The large forest core(>2.00 km^(2))decreased from 149.4 to 296.7 km^(2),and a similar pattern was observed in medium forest core(1.00-2.00 km^(2))forests.On the contrary,the small core(<1.00 km^(2))forest increased from 124.8 to 145.3 km^(2) in 2019.The perforation area increased by 296.9 km^(2),and the edge effect decreased from 458.9 to 431.7 km^(2).The frequency of patches also increased by 119.1 km^(2).The closed and open canopy classes showed a decreasing trend with an annual rate of 0.58%and 1.35%,respectively.The broad implications of these findings can be seen in the studied region as well as other global ecological areas.They serve as an imperative baseline for afforestation and reforestation operations,highlighting the urgent need for efficient management,conservation,and restoration efforts.Based on these findings,sustainable land-use policies may be put into place that support local livelihoods,protect ecosystem services,and conserve biodiversity.
基金The authors extend their appreciation to Researchers Supporting Project number(RSP2024R390),King Saud University,Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.
文摘Soil erosion is a crucial geo-environmental hazard worldwide that affects water quality and agriculture,decreases reservoir storage capacity due to sedimentation,and increases the danger of flooding and landslides.Thus,this study uses geospatial modeling to produce soil erosion susceptibility maps(SESM)for the Hangu region,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa(KPK),Pakistan.The Hangu region,located in the Kohat Plateau of KPK,Pakistan,is particularly susceptible to soil erosion due to its unique geomorphological and climatic characteristics.Moreover,the Hangu region is characterized by a combination of steep slopes,variable rainfall patterns,diverse land use,and distinct soil types,all of which contribute to the complexity and severity of soil erosion processes.These factors necessitate a detailed and region-specific study to develop effective soil conservation strategies.In this research,we detected and mapped 1013 soil erosion points and prepared 12 predisposing factors(elevation,aspect,slope,Normalized Differentiate Vegetation Index(NDVI),drainage network,curvature,Land Use Land Cover(LULC),rainfall,lithology,contour,soil texture,and road network)of soil erosion using GIS platform.Additionally,GIS-based statistical models like the weight of evidence(WOE)and frequency ratio(FR)were applied to produce the SESM for the study area.The SESM was reclassified into four classes,i.e.,low,medium,high,and very high zone.The results of WOE for SESM show that 16.39%,33.02%,29.27%,and 21.30%of areas are covered by low,medium,high,and very high zones,respectively.In contrast,the FR results revealed that 16.50%,24.33%,35.55%,and 23.59%of the areas are occupied by low,medium,high,and very high classes.Furthermore,the reliability of applied models was evaluated using the Area Under Curve(AUC)technique.The validation results utilizing the area under curve showed that the success rate curve(SRC)and predicted rate curve(PRC)for WOE are 82%and 86%,respectively,while SRC and PRC for FR are 85%and 96%,respectively.The validation results revealed that the FR model performance is better and more reliable than the WOE.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2019YFE0127700)。
文摘Most forest fires in the Margalla Hills are related to human activities and socioeconomic factors are essential to assess their likelihood of occurrence.This study considers both environmental(altitude,precipitation,forest type,terrain and humidity index)and socioeconomic(population density,distance from roads and urban areas)factors to analyze how human behavior affects the risk of forest fires.Maximum entropy(Maxent)modelling and random forest(RF)machine learning methods were used to predict the probability and spatial diffusion patterns of forest fires in the Margalla Hills.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and the area under the ROC curve(AUC)were used to compare the models.We studied the fire history from 1990 to 2019 to establish the relationship between the probability of forest fire and environmental and socioeconomic changes.Using Maxent,the AUC fire probability values for the 1999 s,2009 s,and 2019 s were 0.532,0.569,and 0.518,respectively;using RF,they were 0.782,0.825,and 0.789,respectively.Fires were mainly distributed in urban areas and their probability of occurrence was related to accessibility and human behaviour/activity.AUC principles for validation were greater in the random forest models than in the Maxent models.Our results can be used to establish preventive measures to reduce risks of forest fires by considering socio-economic and environmental conditions.
文摘Mapping and monitoring the distribution of croplands and crop types support policymakers and international organizations by reducing the risks to food security,notably from climate change and,for that purpose,remote sensing is routinely used.However,identifying specific crop types,cropland,and cropping patterns using space-based observations is challenging because different crop types and cropping patterns have similarity spectral signatures.This study applied a methodology to identify cropland and specific crop types,including tobacco,wheat,barley,and gram,as well as the following cropping patterns:wheat-tobacco,wheat-gram,wheat-barley,and wheat-maize,which are common in Gujranwala District,Pakistan,the study region.The methodology consists of combining optical remote sensing images from Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 with Machine Learning(ML)methods,namely a Decision Tree Classifier(DTC)and a Random Forest(RF)algorithm.The best time-periods for differentiating cropland from other land cover types were identified,and then Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 NDVI-based time-series were linked to phenological parameters to determine the different crop types and cropping patterns over the study region using their temporal indices and ML algorithms.The methodology was subsequently evaluated using Landsat images,crop statistical data for 2020 and 2021,and field data on cropping patterns.The results highlight the high level of accuracy of the methodological approach presented using Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 images,together with ML techniques,for mapping not only the distribution of cropland,but also crop types and cropping patterns when validated at the county level.These results reveal that this methodology has benefits for monitoring and evaluating food security in Pakistan,adding to the evidence base of other studies on the use of remote sensing to identify crop types and cropping patterns in other countries.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(42071321)This research was funded by the Researchers Supporting Project No.(RSP2023R390)King Saud University,Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.
文摘In this research,we used the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation(RUSLE)and Geographical Information System(GIS)to predict the annual rate of soil loss in the District Chakwal of Pakistan.The parameters of the RUSLE model were estimated using remote sensing data,and the erosion probability zones were determined using GIs.The estimated length slope(LS),crop management(C),rainfall erosivity(R),soil erodibility(K),and support practice(P)range from 0-68,227,0-66.61%,0-0.58,495.99-648.68 MJ/mm.t.ha^(-1).year^(-1),0.15-0.25 MJ/mm.t.ha^(-1).year^(-1),and 1 respectively.The results indicate that the estimated total annual potential soi loss of approximately 4,67,064.25 t.ha^(-1).year^(-1) is comparable with the measured'sediment ioss of 11,631 t.ha^(-1).year^(-1) during the water year 2020.The predicted soil erosion rate due to an increase in agricultural area is approximately 164,249.31 t.ha^(-1).year^(-1).In this study,we also used,Landsat imagery to rapidly achieve actual land use classification.Meanwhile,38.i3%of the region was threatened by very high soil erosion,where the quantity of soil erosion ranged from 365487.35 t.ha^(-1).year^(-1),Integrating GIS and remote sensing with the RUSLE model helped researchers achieve their final objectives.Land-use planners and decision-makers use the result's spatial distribution of soil erosion in District Chakwal for conservation and management planning.
