Authors: Prasanth Meiyappan Parth S Roy Yeshu Sharma Reshma M Ramachandran Pawan K Joshi Ruth S DeFries Atul K Jain
Publish Date: 2016/10/27
Volume: 17, Issue: 3, Pages: 753-766
Abstract
We examine the dynamics and spatial determinants of land change in India by integrating decadal land cover maps 1985–1995–2005 from a walltowall analysis of Landsat images with spatiotemporal socioeconomic database for ~630000 villages in India We reinforce our results through collective evidence from synthesis of 102 case studies that incorporate field knowledge of the causes of land change in India We focus on cropland–fallow land conversions and forest area changes excludes nonforest tree categories including commercial plantations We show that cropland to fallow conversions are prominently associated with lack of irrigation and capital male agricultural labor shortage and fragmentation of land holdings We find gross forest loss is substantial and increased from ~23810 km2 1985–1995 to ~25770 km2 1995–2005 The gross forest gain also increased from ~6000 km2 1985–1995 to ~7440 km2 1995–2005 Overall India experienced a net decline in forest by ~18000 km2 gross loss–gross gain consistently during both decades We show that the major source of forest loss was cropland expansion in areas of low cropland productivity due to soil degradation and lack of irrigation followed by industrial development and mining/quarrying activities and excessive economic dependence of villages on forest resources
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