A Novel Participatory And Remote-sensing-based Approach To Mapping Annual Land Use Change On Forest Frontiers In Laos, Myanmar, And Madagascar
December 28, 2018 - Zaehringer, Julie G.; Llopis, Jorge C.; Latthachack, Phokham; Thein, Tun Tun; Heinimann, Andreas
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EmailJournal or Book Title: JOURNAL OF LAND USE SCIENCE
Volume/Issue: 13
Year Published: 2018
Tropical forests are under pressure from both commercial and small holder agriculture. Forest frontiers are seeing dynamic land use changes that frequently lead to land system regime shifts, posing challenges for the sustainability of entire local social-ecological systems. Monitoring highly dynamic land use change and detecting land system regime shifts is ethodologically challenging due to trade-offs between spatial and temporal data resolution. We propose an innovative approach that combines analysis of very-high-resolution satellite imagery with participatory mapping based on workshops and field walks. Applying it in Laos, Myanmar, and Madagascar, we were able to collect annual land use information over several decades. Unlike conventional land use change mapping approaches, which assess only few points in time, our approach provides information at a temporal resolution that enables detection of gradual and abrupt land system regime, shifts.
DOI: 10.1080/1747423X.2018.1447033
Type of Publication: Article