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Proceedings of the International Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 2014, 4(1): 7-17
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Article

Are the sensitive zones degrading? A modelling approach using GIS and remote sensing

S. Selvalakshmi1, S. Jayakumar2, V.S. Ramachandran1
1Department of Botany, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore- 641 046, India
2Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry-605 014, India

Received 14 November 2013;Accepted 20 December 2013;Published online 1 March 2014
IAEES

Abstract
This present study assesses the sensitive zones and the forest density class prone to degradation using remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), Southern Western Ghats (India). For assessing the vulnerability of degradation on different vegetation density, the drivers responsible for degradation were considered. LANDSAT MSS and IRS-LISS III satellite image was used to classify the vegetation density by applying Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) technique and to create the sensitive zone maps for two different time periods, 1973 and 2010 using weighted overlay analysis. About 47% of the present forest area is under a low risk category, 24% is under medium risk category and about 7% (2517 ha) is under the high-risk category in 2010. The natural disturbances such as forest fire, wildlife grazing, and expansion of agricultural land induced by anthropogenic pressure over the decades are the reasons of forest cover change in Mudumalai. The area under no-risk zone has severely decreased, and medium and high risk zone has drastically increased when compared to 1973 where high prioritization for conservation planning is ideal.

Keywords weighted overlay analysis;vegetation density;risk zone;anthropogenic pressure;Western Ghats.


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