Quantification and Monitoring of Forest Cover Changes in Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, Western Ghats, India (1920-2012)

Protected areas need to be monitored regularly to realize the effectiveness of conservation measures. In this study, Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve of Western Ghats has been monitored for deforestation in a historic time frame. The study attempted to identify the changes that occurred within the Biosphere Reserve from the early 1920s to the recent by mapping the land use/land cover and quantifying the forest cover changes that have occurred in the Biosphere Reserve individually for each conservation zone and protected area. Multi-temporal satellite datasets and topographical maps were used for mapping the forest cover of the study area. Visual interpretation technique involving on screen digitization was used for mapping and post-classification comparison method was used for carrying out change detection process. In addition, grid wise spatial tracking was carried out for the periods of 1920-1973 and 1973-2012 to prioritize change areas. Results showed that 747.1 km² of forests have been lost during the period of 1920-2012. The present study demonstrates the importance of long-term land use/land cover information to examine conservation effectiveness by utilizing remote sensing and GIS techniques to carry out best management practices.