Skip to main content
SLU publication database (SLUpub)

Abstract

In-depth statistical analysis of forest transition between land-cover types over time can reveal the dominant signals of landscape transformation, which are needed in order to develop appropriate land management strategies. We applied a recently developed methodology to analyse the transition matrix of six land-cover classes, derived from 1986 and 2002 Landsat images of an area of 15 675 km(2) in southern Burkina Faso. Results show that most landscape transformations followed a systematic process. In addition, some transitions occurred as an apparently random process, probably caused by uncommon or sporadic events. Degradation of woodland to shrub-/grassland over 15.7% of the landscape, increases in biomass from woodland to dense forest on 10% of the landscape and conversion of 6% of the landscape from shrub-/grassland to cropland were the dominant signals of forest-cover transitions. From a planning perspective, the dominance of systematic processes should facilitate regional land-use planning and sustainable forest management in a context of immigration and agricultural intensification.

Published in

International Journal of Remote Sensing
2011, volume: 32, number: 18, pages: 5229-5245
Publisher: TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD

SLU Authors

Global goals (SDG)

SDG12 Responsible consumption and production
SDG15 Life on land

UKÄ Subject classification

Forest Science

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2010.495095

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/56968