USING REMOTE SENSING AND GIS TO ANALYZE LULC CHANGE FOR ITS IMPACT ON ES

Introduction: Human society has sustained their generations by extracting a range of goods and services from natural ecosystems. However, intensification of agriculture and rural sprawl has caused great reductions in natural habitats, which indirectly impaired the function of ecosystem and the provision of ecosystem services (ES). Land use land cover (LULC) change has been identified as one of the most pivotal drivers of change and depletions in ecosystem function. However, not much has been done at local scales. Besides, examining the results in terms of US$ is informative and largely absent both at large and local scales.

The major objectives of this study are to: 1) Combine supervised classification and visual interpretation to classify and map the historical vs. current LULC changes; 2) Use post-classification comparisons to determine LULC change patterns over a 24-year period; 3) Quantify the economic value of ES changes across LULC changes in terms of US dollars; and 4) Gain a better understanding on how LULC changes impact the provisioning of ES, as well as provide evidence for policy makers to make sound decisions on resource management.

Methods: 1. Analyze LULC change pattern and statistics; 2. Calculate net amount of each ecosystem service change; 3. Display each ecosystem service on an individual map.

Results & Discussions: 1. The gain and loss in specific LULC classes present a serious problem in the delivery of ES; 2.The major driver for LULC change pattern in Butler is due to rapid urbanization and rural exploration; 3. Trade-offs was seen among four ES. 4. Cropland and urban areas could not reliably provide ES; 5. Understanding the drivers of changes in LULC and subsequently in ES is essential.