Data Acquisition through Remote Sensing for Management Planning of National Parks and Protected Areas
Somasiri, S*, and M. Herath#
*Dr .S, Somasirim managing Director,
AGRIDEV Consultants, Ltd. Kandy, Sir Lanka
#Dr. Manthrithilake Herath, Director,
Upper Mahawali Catchment Management Division MASL, Sri Lanka.
Abstract
Sri Lank is endowed with a rick bio-diversity and endemictity, but the species are under severe threat from a rapidly increasing population. the government has established a large number of protected areas (Pas), which constitute 12 percent of the total area of the biological resources of the Pas, which are scattered over the country have been a major constraint for management planning. The severe competition for resources in Pas and escalating human-animal conflicts, rapid destruction of the key animals, and loss of property strategies for which obtaining resources information in a very short time is essential. Application of remote sensing information seems the quickest method of resources inventory. This study attempts to identify, classify habitat types and map them; identify available remote sensing data. Subsequently, field checking was used to verify the interpretations. Paper discusses the advantages and the limitations of the remote sensing methodology in resource data acquisition.
Introduction
Sri Lanka is endowed with a rick bio-diversity and endemicity, but the species are under severe threat of loss and in some cases extinction due to lack of proper and adequate by the government with a view to conserve and maintain the biodiversity, no management resources. There is an urgent need to inventorize the physical and biological resources, identify the cultural resources and identify the cultural resources and evaluate the external impacts on the protected areas.
Remote sensing has been applied for earths resource inventory form the middle of this century (Hoffer, 1975). Use of satellite MSS data began in late 60s (Floyd F. Sabins. Jr 1977)
In Sri Lanka aerial photography was used for resources inventory in the early 60s (Nanayakkara, 1983) and other high altitude remote sensing data came into use in the early eighties (Geiser and Sommer, 1984; Molegoda, Kotagama & Sommer, 1984).The emphasis of previous studies in Sri Lanka has been on the vegetative cover and it changes.
In this paper attempt is to apply the remote sensing methodology for a rapid appraisal of the physical and some biological resources and to inventorize them for the purpose of management planning and development of strategies for the conservation and maintenance of biodiversity. Also identify the extent of encroachments by the settlements in to the protected areas. However, the wild life sector is not equipped with computer hardware and software as well as the required expertise for sophisticated processing of that the resources inventory for wildlife management has to rely more on visual interpretations of remote sensing data and low altitude aerial photography.
Objectives:
This research activity is designed to test the applicability of the remote sensing methodologies for rapid appraisal of the resources and the inventorization of physical, to species conservation. Following are the specific objectives.
*Inventory of the soil and the land form/geological features
*Inventory of the habitats and characterize them in the field
*Inventory of the geo-hydrological features: surface and sub surface water resources.
*Inventory of the land use changes over time.
The overall objective is to provide the essential resources information in a short period for management planning and development of management strategies.
