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Geospatial characterization of deforestation, fragmentation and forest fires in Telangana state, India: conservation perspective

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Abstract

Conservation of biodiversity has been put to the highest priority throughout the world. The process of identifying threatened ecosystems will search for different drivers related to biodiversity loss. The present study aimed to generate spatial information on deforestation and ecological degradation indicators of fragmentation and forest fires using systematic conceptual approach in Telangana state, India. Identification of ecosystems facing increasing vulnerability can help to safeguard the extinctions of species and useful for conservation planning. The technological advancement of satellite remote sensing and Geographical Information System has increased greatly in assessment and monitoring of ecosystem-level changes. The areas of threat were identified by creating grid cells (5 × 5 km) in Geographical Information System (GIS). Deforestation was assessed using multi-source data of 1930, 1960, 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005 and 2013. The forest cover of 40,746 km2, 29,299 km2, 18,652 km2, 18,368 km2, 18,006 km2, 17,556 km2 and 17,520 km2 was estimated during 1930, 1960, 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005 and 2013, respectively. Historical evaluation of deforestation revealed that major changes had occurred in forests of Telangana and identified 1095 extinct, 397 critically endangered, 523 endangered and 311 vulnerable ecosystem grid cells. The fragmentation analysis has identified 307 ecosystem grid cells under critically endangered status. Forest burnt area information was extracted using AWiFS data of 2005 to 2014. Spatial analysis indicates total fire-affected forest in Telangana as 58.9 % in a decadal period. Conservation status has been recorded depending upon values of threat for each grid, which forms the basis for conservation priority hotspots. Of existing forest, 2.1 % grids had severe ecosystem collapse and had been included under the category of conservation priority hotspot-I, followed by 27.2 % in conservation priority hotspot-II and 51.5 % in conservation priority hotspot-III. This analysis complements assessment of ecosystems undergoing multiple threats. An integrated approach involving the deforestation and degradation indicators is useful in formulating the strategies to take appropriate conservation measures.

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Acknowledgments

The present work has been carried out as part of ISRO’s National Carbon Project. The authors are grateful to ISRO-DOS Geosphere Biosphere Programme for the financial support. We thank the editor and anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions, which helped us to improve the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation, Hyderabad, Balanagar, 500 037, India

    C. Sudhakar Reddy, S. Vazeed Pasha, C. S. Jha & V. K. Dadhwal

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  1. C. Sudhakar Reddy
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  2. S. Vazeed Pasha
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  3. C. S. Jha
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  4. V. K. Dadhwal
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Correspondence to C. Sudhakar Reddy.

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Sudhakar Reddy, C., Vazeed Pasha, S., Jha, C.S. et al. Geospatial characterization of deforestation, fragmentation and forest fires in Telangana state, India: conservation perspective. Environ Monit Assess 187, 455 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4673-5

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