Land cover dynamics and their driving factors in a protected floodplain ecosystem

Floodplains are simultaneously the most productive and threatened ecosystems in the world, with land cover integrity compromised even in “protected” floodplains. Due to their rich biodiversity, monitoring of land cover and understanding the causative drivers becomes imperative in the protected flood...

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Autores principales: Basumatary, Himolin, Devi, Haobam Suchitra, Borah, Suranjana Bhaswati, Das, Apurba Kumar
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Wiley 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/164349
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author Basumatary, Himolin
Devi, Haobam Suchitra
Borah, Suranjana Bhaswati
Das, Apurba Kumar
author_browse Basumatary, Himolin
Borah, Suranjana Bhaswati
Das, Apurba Kumar
Devi, Haobam Suchitra
author_facet Basumatary, Himolin
Devi, Haobam Suchitra
Borah, Suranjana Bhaswati
Das, Apurba Kumar
author_sort Basumatary, Himolin
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Floodplains are simultaneously the most productive and threatened ecosystems in the world, with land cover integrity compromised even in “protected” floodplains. Due to their rich biodiversity, monitoring of land cover and understanding the causative drivers becomes imperative in the protected floodplains. This work performs spatio‐temporal assessment of land cover changes and discovers the underlying processes in the largest protected floodplain of the Brahmaputra River (BR)—Kaziranga National Park (KNP). Remotely sensed images of 1988, 1998, 2008, and 2018 were analyzed using visual interpretation techniques coupled with class description keys in GIS platform along with ground‐based surveys. Results show a substantial area decline under Dense Forest (7.7%), Open Forest (10%), Waterlogged wetland (31.3%), and Marsh/Swamp (70.4%) land cover classes between 1988 and 2018. The considerable reduction in forests and wetlands is likely to impact the life support system of the park as they form the key habitats and food resources. Concurrently, dramatic area increase under riverine classes has led to huge landmass loss along the northern and eastern stretch. Though the BR and the local flood pulse are essential source of nutrient replenishment in the park, they also act as primary drivers of land cover alteration. Hydro‐geomorphic processes like bank erosion, high‐flood events, and siltation in association with vegetation succession and invasive species control the inter‐conversion of land cover classes in the KNP. The findings of this work provide an insight into the natural factors that instigate the land cover modification on large floodplains in general, and particularly in KNP.
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spelling CGSpace1643492024-12-22T05:44:50Z Land cover dynamics and their driving factors in a protected floodplain ecosystem Basumatary, Himolin Devi, Haobam Suchitra Borah, Suranjana Bhaswati Das, Apurba Kumar environmental chemistry general environmental science water science and technology Floodplains are simultaneously the most productive and threatened ecosystems in the world, with land cover integrity compromised even in “protected” floodplains. Due to their rich biodiversity, monitoring of land cover and understanding the causative drivers becomes imperative in the protected floodplains. This work performs spatio‐temporal assessment of land cover changes and discovers the underlying processes in the largest protected floodplain of the Brahmaputra River (BR)—Kaziranga National Park (KNP). Remotely sensed images of 1988, 1998, 2008, and 2018 were analyzed using visual interpretation techniques coupled with class description keys in GIS platform along with ground‐based surveys. Results show a substantial area decline under Dense Forest (7.7%), Open Forest (10%), Waterlogged wetland (31.3%), and Marsh/Swamp (70.4%) land cover classes between 1988 and 2018. The considerable reduction in forests and wetlands is likely to impact the life support system of the park as they form the key habitats and food resources. Concurrently, dramatic area increase under riverine classes has led to huge landmass loss along the northern and eastern stretch. Though the BR and the local flood pulse are essential source of nutrient replenishment in the park, they also act as primary drivers of land cover alteration. Hydro‐geomorphic processes like bank erosion, high‐flood events, and siltation in association with vegetation succession and invasive species control the inter‐conversion of land cover classes in the KNP. The findings of this work provide an insight into the natural factors that instigate the land cover modification on large floodplains in general, and particularly in KNP. 2021-05 2024-12-19T12:53:45Z 2024-12-19T12:53:45Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/164349 en Wiley Basumatary, Himolin; Devi, Haobam Suchitra; Borah, Suranjana Bhaswati and Das, Apurba Kumar. 2021. Land cover dynamics and their driving factors in a protected floodplain ecosystem. River Research and Apps, Volume 37 no. 4 p. 627-643
spellingShingle environmental chemistry
general environmental science
water science and technology
Basumatary, Himolin
Devi, Haobam Suchitra
Borah, Suranjana Bhaswati
Das, Apurba Kumar
Land cover dynamics and their driving factors in a protected floodplain ecosystem
title Land cover dynamics and their driving factors in a protected floodplain ecosystem
title_full Land cover dynamics and their driving factors in a protected floodplain ecosystem
title_fullStr Land cover dynamics and their driving factors in a protected floodplain ecosystem
title_full_unstemmed Land cover dynamics and their driving factors in a protected floodplain ecosystem
title_short Land cover dynamics and their driving factors in a protected floodplain ecosystem
title_sort land cover dynamics and their driving factors in a protected floodplain ecosystem
topic environmental chemistry
general environmental science
water science and technology
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/164349
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AT dasapurbakumar landcoverdynamicsandtheirdrivingfactorsinaprotectedfloodplainecosystem