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Land Use/Land Cover
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Land cover changes in tropical rain forest to support sustainable natural production forest management (SNPFM) in east Kalimantan, Indonesia
Padam Dahal
Department of Natural Resources
International Institute for Geoinformation Science
and Earth Observation, ITC, 7500 AA, Enschede, Netherlands
Telephone: (31)53-4874-444
Fax: (31)53-4874379
E-mail:Padamdahal@Hotmail.com
Yousif Ali Hussin
Department of Natural Resources
International Institute for Geoinformation Science
and Earth Observation, ITC, 7500 AA, Enschede, Netherlands
Telephone: (31)53-4874-444
Fax: (31)53-4874379
E-mail:Hussin@ITC.NL
Edwin Keizer
Department of Natural Res ources
International Institute for Geoinformation Science
and Earth Observation, ITC, 7500 AA, Enschede, Netherlands
Telephone: (31)53-4874-444
Fax: (31)53-4874379
E-mail:Keizer@ITC.NL
Abstract
The accelerated rate of deforestation and forest degradation is not only a threat to the continuous supply of
forest products for the livelihood of local people living in and outside the tropical forest but it also has many
adverse consequences on a regional and global scale. Example can be taken in relation to the loss of
biodiversity ,change of the global climate and accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere. These
consequences have compelled all the continents and nations to think about the sustainable management
of their forest resources. The objective of this study was to assess the land cover change in tropical rain
forest using Landsat TM images within a specific period of time and categorize the change on the intensity
scale of indicators for sustainable natural production forest management (SNPFM) for timber certification.
This study demonstrates how Landsat images can provide timely information required for monitoring to be
evaluated using criteria and indicators (C&I) system for sustainable forest management.
Introduction
Sustainable management of natural forests has been a worldwide issue after the United Nation’s
Convention on Environment and Development held in June 1992 (UNCED, 1992). Forest certification is a
process to determine whether a forest is being sustainably managed or not. For this purpose, certain
principles, criteria and indicators are used. Many organizations are involved in development of such
principles, criteria and indicato rs at national and international level. In this context, Indonesia has
developed its own principles, criteria, indicators, verifiers and verification methods. Indonesian Ecolabelling
Institute (LEI) is responsible for that work using the CIFOR C&I system as a base. The criteria and
indicators used in this research are from the system developed by LEI (1998). Sustainable forest
management is “the process of managing forest to achieve one or more clearly specified objectives with
regard to the provision of a continuous flow of desired forest products and services, without undue
reduction of its inherent values and future productivity and without undue undesirable effects on the
physical and social environment” (ITTO, 1992). This means that, to make a forest management system
sustainable it should be economically viable, environmentally sound and socially acceptable. This paper
focuses on certain selected criteria, indicators and verifiers of the production function of Indonesian tropical
forest. Those selected principle, criteria, indicators and verifiers are shown in Table 1 and are derived from.LEI. The objective of this study was to assess the land cover change in tropical rain forest using Landsat
Thematic Mapper (TM) images within a specific period of time and categorize the change on the intensity
scale of indicators for SNPFM for timber certification.
Table 1. Selected Principle, criteria, indicators and verifiers for this research purpose.
| Principle: Sustainability of production Function of the forest. |
Criteria 1: Sustainability of forest resources.
Indicator P1.3:
Size/level of change in forestland cover due toencroachment and conversion of forest area functions, fires and other
impediments. |
Verifiers:
Area of forest conversion/encroachment.Intensity/frequency and scale of forest
fires. |
Criteria 2: Sustainability of forest products.
Indicator P2.5:
Condition of residual
stands. |
Verifiers:
Number and type of regeneration at each
level of growth (seedling, sapling, pole
etc.). |
Study Area Materials and Methods
Labanan concession area is found in Berau regency, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. This province is located
in the eastern Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. It lies west of the Kelai river. The entire concession
area covers about 83,240 ha of which 54, 567 ha is under fixed production, 26,997 ha under limited
production and 1676 ha has been left for other uses such as transmigration, camping (by the logging and
cruising crew), settlement and agriculture (Fakul tas Kehutanan, 2000). Figure 1 shows the location of the
study area. The concession area is managed by P.T. Inhutani I, which is a government owned concession
company. The natural vegetation of East Kalimantan is dominated by lowland mixed dipterocarp forest.
Dipterocarps represent 50% of basal area and 60% of stand volume. The Berau area is characterized by
high botanical diversity of the tree species. Large parts of natural forest in East Kalimantan have been
logged.
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