Spatial and temporal deforestation dynamics in protected and unprotected dry forests: a case study from Myanmar (Burma)
background
This study looks at deforestation impacts and drivers in a tropical dry forest ecosystem of Myanmar (Burma). The study focuses on the Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS), one of the largest protected areas of dry forest in Southeast Asia, and the surrounding areas that serve as habitat for the endangered Eld’s deer.
research goals & methods
The study uses satellite images from Landsat, ASTER, and NASA’s Geocover to look at forest cover change from 1972 to 2005. The study also uses FRAGSTATS to assess fragmentation and edge impacts.
conclusions & takeaways
The study finds a 60% decline in forest cover on the landscape between 1973 and 2005, with a prediction that all forest cover outside of the CWS protected area would be lost by 2019. The drivers of deforestation were found to be conversion to agriculture, shifting agriculture (often transitioning to permanent agriculture), and flooding from a hydro-electric development. These forest cover declines were also associated with declines in Eld's deer habitat and populations.
Reference:
. Spatial and temporal deforestation dynamics in protected and unprotected dry forests: a case study from Myanmar (Burma). Biodiversity and Conservation. 2008;18:1001–1018. doi:10.1007/s10531-008-9490-5.
Affiliation:
- Smithsonian Institution, National Zoological Park, Conservation Ecology Center, Front Royal, USA
- SICAS OfficeYangon, Myanmar
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, USA