School of Educational Sciences, Department of Social Science, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Geospatial Data & Technology Center and Department of Geography & Environmental Studies, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Environ Monit Assess. 2024 Nov 6;196(12):1170. doi: 10.1007/s10661-024-13294-7.
The spatiotemporal dynamics of forest cover are essential for understanding the patterns and processes of forest change over time and space. This research focused on the spatiotemporal trends and drivers of forest cover change in the Metekel Zone of Northwest Ethiopia. Landsat 5, Landsat 7, and Landsat 8 imagery, covering the period from 1986 to 2019, were used for land use/cover classification. Land use/cover classification was performed using random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM) algorithms in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, with training samples obtained through visual image interpretation. Spectral indices, such as the normalized difference vegetation index, soil-adjusted vegetation index, leaf area index, and normalized difference water index, were analyzed to examine forest cover dynamics over time. In addition, key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted. Findings revealed that forest cover decreased significantly from 51.37% in 1986 to 17.20% in 2019, driven largely by human activities such as agricultural expansion, increased demand for firewood, and urban expansion. Findings from spectral indices further corroborated the finding that forest cover in the study region (mainly in the southwestern part) substantially decreased from 1986 to 2019. Concerning forest depletion, the lack of local community awareness has become a key challenge. This problem is attributed to communities prioritizing immediate needs such as fuel and land for agriculture over long-term forest conservation. To combat ongoing deforestation, the Metekel Zone Administration, in collaboration with the land administration office and other stakeholders, revisited and strengthened existing forest policies and control systems. It is also suggested that community awareness, chiefly among youth, should be enhanced through the strategic expansion of formal and nonformal educational initiatives, which empower the youth as agents of change and promote the dissemination of knowledge throughout the community.
森林覆盖的时空动态对于理解森林随时间和空间的变化模式和过程至关重要。本研究聚焦于埃塞俄比亚西北部梅特克尔地区的森林覆盖变化的时空趋势及其驱动因素。研究使用了 Landsat 5、Landsat 7 和 Landsat 8 影像，涵盖了 1986 年至 2019 年的时间段，用于土地利用/覆盖分类。土地利用/覆盖分类是在 Google Earth Engine（GEE）平台上使用随机森林（RF）和支持向量机（SVM）算法进行的，训练样本通过目视图像解译获得。分析了归一化差异植被指数、土壤调整植被指数、叶面积指数和归一化差异水指数等光谱指数，以研究森林覆盖随时间的动态变化。此外，还进行了关键知情者访谈（KIIs）和焦点小组讨论（FGDs）。研究结果表明，森林覆盖从 1986 年的 51.37%显著减少到 2019 年的 17.20%，主要驱动力是农业扩张、薪材需求增加和城市扩张等人类活动。光谱指数的分析结果进一步证实了该研究区域（主要在西南部）的森林覆盖从 1986 年到 2019 年大幅减少的发现。关于森林枯竭问题，当地社区缺乏意识已成为一个关键挑战。这一问题归因于社区优先考虑即时需求，如燃料和农业用地，而忽视了长期的森林保护。为了应对持续的森林砍伐，梅特克尔地区行政当局与土地管理办公室和其他利益相关者合作，重新审视并加强了现有的森林政策和控制系统。此外，还建议通过战略扩大正规和非正规教育举措，增强社区意识，特别是在青年群体中，使青年成为变革的推动者，并在整个社区传播知识。
