Land cover changes from 1995 to 2016 in sebubus forest of sambas regency, Indonesia

Abstract

It is broadly known that tropical peat forest plays important role for local and regional social and environmental wellbeing. Nonetheless the existence is under serious threat due to unsustainable human activities that often exacerbated by extreme weather events. Monitoring and understanding health of tropical peat forest can help to determine correct measures to tackle any adverse impacts resulted from degraded tropical peat forest as well as mitigate and prevent continuing degradation of the ecosystems itself. This research applies remote sensing and Geographical Information System for investigating historical land cover changes in Sebubus Forest through analysis of Landsat images during period 1995 until 2016. The purpose is to understand how land cover of the 'Productive Forest', as it is classified by Indonesian Regulations on forestry, has been changing over time and the times when its dramatic transformation were happened. A matrix derived from multitemporal satellite image analysis is presented to understand land cover transitions and intensity. This investigation found that the forest were trees' covered until 2005 when some dramatic land cover changes began. Even though protected by regulation, Sebubus Forest area is not safe from adverse impact of human activities. By 2016 it is likely only less then 12% of the total peat land area remains covered by forest.