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Dynamics of Shifting Cultivation Landscapes in Northern Lao PDR Between 2000 and 2009 Based on an Analysis of MODIS Time Series and Landsat Images

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Abstract

The rotational nature of shifting cultivation poses several challenges to its detection by remote sensing. Consequently, there is a lack of spatial data on the dynamics of shifting cultivation landscapes on a regional, i.e. sub-national, or national level. We present an approach based on a time series of Landsat and MODIS data and landscape metrics to delineate the dynamics of shifting cultivation landscapes. Our results reveal that shifting cultivation is a land use system still widely and dynamically utilized in northern Laos. While there is an overall reduction in the areas dominated by shifting cultivation, some regions also show an expansion. A review of relevant reports and articles indicates that policies tend to lead to a reduction while market forces can result in both expansion and reduction. For a better understanding of the different factors affecting shifting cultivation landscapes in Laos, further research should focus on spatially explicit analyses.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North–South and co-funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Furthermore, this research has benefited from collaborations of the I-REDD+ project of the European Commission Framework Project (FP7-ENV-2010), The Agrobiodiversity Initiative in Lao PDR (TABI) project funded by SDC as well as a grant from the Danish Social Science Research Council, and the exchange within the Global Land Project (GLP)

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  1. Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North-South, Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 10, 3012, Berne, Switzerland

    Kaspar Hurni, Cornelia Hett, Andreas Heinimann, Peter Messerli & Urs Wiesmann

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  1. Kaspar Hurni
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  2. Cornelia Hett
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Hurni, K., Hett, C., Heinimann, A. et al. Dynamics of Shifting Cultivation Landscapes in Northern Lao PDR Between 2000 and 2009 Based on an Analysis of MODIS Time Series and Landsat Images. Hum Ecol 41, 21–36 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-012-9551-y

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