Multi-temporal forest cover change detection in the Metchie-Ngoum Protection Forest Reserve, West Region of Cameroon

Globally, forest reserves are threatened by human induced deforestation and forest degradation. Within the Congo Basin, substantial deforestation has been quantified over the past years following the recent advancement in remote sensing and GIS applications in forestry research. Satellite images and...

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Main Authors: Reeves Meli Fokeng, Walter Gadinga Forje, Vivien Meli Meli, Bernard Nyuyki Bodzemo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2020-04-01
Series:Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Sciences
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110982318301133
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spelling doaj-6397548378534d6a969cdc60024cf0ed2020-11-25T02:54:27ZengElsevierEgyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Sciences1110-98232020-04-01231113124Multi-temporal forest cover change detection in the Metchie-Ngoum Protection Forest Reserve, West Region of CameroonReeves Meli Fokeng0Walter Gadinga Forje1Vivien Meli Meli2Bernard Nyuyki Bodzemo3Department of Geography and Planning, Faculty of Arts, University of Bamenda, Cameroon; Corresponding author.Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, CameroonDepartment of Sociology, Faculty of Letters and Social Sciences, University of Dschang, CameroonDepartment of Geography, Faculty of Arts, Letters and Social Sciences, University of Yaounde I, CameroonGlobally, forest reserves are threatened by human induced deforestation and forest degradation. Within the Congo Basin, substantial deforestation has been quantified over the past years following the recent advancement in remote sensing and GIS applications in forestry research. Satellite images and ground based data are used to map deforestation, forest degradation and disturbances and their corresponding drivers. In Cameroon, recent studies show a general increase in deforestation over the past years. In most forest reserves of the Western Highlands, forest cover loss is basically as a result of rising population of in-situ and nearby settled communities. The Metchie-Ngoum Protection Forest Reserve (PFR) is but one. The study evaluates forest cover changes in the Metchie-Ngoum PFR using remote sensing and ground observations. It was revealed that forest cover though remained relatively stable over the study period (1984–2015), witnessed much degradation resulting to 36.11% estimated secondary forest cover by 1984. Secondary forest also experienced a cumulative loss to clearings/farms and built-up area from 1984 to 2000. The year 2000 was the most alarming. Forest loss is linked to oil palm expansion, increase population and built-up area and settlement related activities like logging. Faced with such rising threat on forest reserves, only a concerted action can guide sustainable forest management and conservation. The study thus recommends the design and implementation of a guided forest conservation policy which gradually applies proper sensitization, frequent visits by eco-guards, less intimidation, participatory forest mapping and the incorporation of forest communities in the sustainable management of forest reserves. Keywords: Forest cover loss, Land cover/use, Change detection, Open source GIShttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110982318301133
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Reeves Meli Fokeng
Walter Gadinga Forje
Vivien Meli Meli
Bernard Nyuyki Bodzemo
spellingShingle Reeves Meli Fokeng
Walter Gadinga Forje
Vivien Meli Meli
Bernard Nyuyki Bodzemo
Multi-temporal forest cover change detection in the Metchie-Ngoum Protection Forest Reserve, West Region of Cameroon
Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Sciences
author_facet Reeves Meli Fokeng
Walter Gadinga Forje
Vivien Meli Meli
Bernard Nyuyki Bodzemo
author_sort Reeves Meli Fokeng
title Multi-temporal forest cover change detection in the Metchie-Ngoum Protection Forest Reserve, West Region of Cameroon
title_short Multi-temporal forest cover change detection in the Metchie-Ngoum Protection Forest Reserve, West Region of Cameroon
title_full Multi-temporal forest cover change detection in the Metchie-Ngoum Protection Forest Reserve, West Region of Cameroon
title_fullStr Multi-temporal forest cover change detection in the Metchie-Ngoum Protection Forest Reserve, West Region of Cameroon
title_full_unstemmed Multi-temporal forest cover change detection in the Metchie-Ngoum Protection Forest Reserve, West Region of Cameroon
title_sort multi-temporal forest cover change detection in the metchie-ngoum protection forest reserve, west region of cameroon
publisher Elsevier
series Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Sciences
issn 1110-9823
publishDate 2020-04-01
description Globally, forest reserves are threatened by human induced deforestation and forest degradation. Within the Congo Basin, substantial deforestation has been quantified over the past years following the recent advancement in remote sensing and GIS applications in forestry research. Satellite images and ground based data are used to map deforestation, forest degradation and disturbances and their corresponding drivers. In Cameroon, recent studies show a general increase in deforestation over the past years. In most forest reserves of the Western Highlands, forest cover loss is basically as a result of rising population of in-situ and nearby settled communities. The Metchie-Ngoum Protection Forest Reserve (PFR) is but one. The study evaluates forest cover changes in the Metchie-Ngoum PFR using remote sensing and ground observations. It was revealed that forest cover though remained relatively stable over the study period (1984–2015), witnessed much degradation resulting to 36.11% estimated secondary forest cover by 1984. Secondary forest also experienced a cumulative loss to clearings/farms and built-up area from 1984 to 2000. The year 2000 was the most alarming. Forest loss is linked to oil palm expansion, increase population and built-up area and settlement related activities like logging. Faced with such rising threat on forest reserves, only a concerted action can guide sustainable forest management and conservation. The study thus recommends the design and implementation of a guided forest conservation policy which gradually applies proper sensitization, frequent visits by eco-guards, less intimidation, participatory forest mapping and the incorporation of forest communities in the sustainable management of forest reserves. Keywords: Forest cover loss, Land cover/use, Change detection, Open source GIS
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110982318301133
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