Integration of Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques to improve national forest inventory in Southern Darfur State
Integration of Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques to improve national forest inventory in Southern Darfur State
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Date
2015-04-21
Authors
Osman, Mohamed
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
UOFK
Abstract
The study aims to compare forest inventory by using ground survey only
and combination of ground survey, remote sensing and GIS techniques.
This study covered parts of southern Darfur State. It covered about
5986289 hectares that is 45%of the total area of the southern Darfur
State.
The main objectives were to show the efficiency of remote sensing and
GIS techniques in forest resources surveys and improvement of ground
surveys to reduce efforts, time and money expended.
The study used data from the National Forest Inventory (NFI) that was
started in March 1995 and completed in July 1997. Data from
AFRICOVER project (landsat images) of the same period (1995-1997)
provided a good base-line for monitoring environmental changes, extent
of forest areas, tree species composition and forest products in the
country.
The results show the classification of the land cover and calculations of
the total area covered by forests, grazing and agricultural lands. The
results also show map of the land cover, land use and crown closure for
the trees on the area, the total volume for all trees was calculated .The
total forest area from ground survey was 3 588 202 hectare, and the forest
area according to land-sat images was 2 746 184 ha . The total woody
volume in ground survey was 28 378 353 m3, the total volume according
to land-sat images was 21 196 384 m3.
The combination of ground survey and remote sensing images will be
more effective to be used in future national forest inventories, because it
reduces the number of sample plots to be laid out, reduces efforts, time
and money expended, in forest inventories.
The results and maps of this study can be used as a basis for updating the
National Forest Inventory, and to make extrapolations for estimating
parameters of forest areas which were not possible to reach during the
NFI.
Description
90page
Keywords
Integration,Remote,Sensing,GIS,Techniques,improve,national,forest,inventory ,Southern Darfur State