An Investigation of Changes in land Use According to the Analysis of Landscape Ecology Metrics by Using Remote Sensing and GIS in Arid and Semi-arid Region of Dehloran

Fathizad, Hasan; Nohegar, Ahmad; Faramarzi, Marzban; Tazeh, Mahdi

doi:10.22059/jtcp.2013.35474

An Investigation of Changes in land Use According to the Analysis of Landscape Ecology Metrics by Using Remote Sensing and GIS in Arid and Semi-arid Region of Dehloran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Hasan Fathizad

Ahmad Nohegar

Marzban Faramarzi

Mahdi Tazeh

10.22059/jtcp.2013.35474

Abstract

Many human activities due to the lack of consideration in environmental restrictions on the landscape ecology are influential and have severe environmental effects on natural ecosystems. This study was conducted to investigate the trend of changes in landscape ecology in Dehloran, Ilam. For developing maps of Land cover, and analyzing the changes, we used, respectively, the satellite images of (1985) TM and (2007) ETM ⁺ were applied and landscape metrics of class area, density of patches, number of patches, mean of patches size, edge density and mean of shape index Various class-level landscape pattern metrics were calculated using FRAGTATS, in order to analyze landscape fragmentation. The analysis of landscape metrics revealed that the extensive replacement of fair rangelands by agricultural lands, rangelands, residential areas and barren lands. The results showed that increase in the number of patches and decrease in the mean of the area size was an important indicator of significant index of degradation, and the process of degradation and destruction of landscape ecology was in an increase mood. Therefore the results necessitated paying attention to the quality of land use and cover in the region for to exploit natural resources appropriately and sustainably.

Keywords

Land Use

Landscape metrics

Landscape fragmentation

Dehloran region

Ilam Province