Land Use Intensity Dynamic in the Andhikhola Watershed, Nepal
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Department of geography
Abstract
Land use/land cover science has so far mainly focused on broad land cover
conversions while the spatial patterns of the intensity systems remain highly unclear.
Land use intensity refers to the function of energy use per unit area of land that can be
measured on the basis of input and output of a land. Traditional approaches often only
examine one or a few aspects of land use intensity disregarding the
multidimensionality of the in tensification process in the complex land system. This
situation hampers the development of a sound understanding of the mechanisms,
determinants and constraints underlying changes in land use intensity. Thus, analysis
and monitoring of land use intensity should follow an integrative conceptual
framework of land use in tensification. Mountainous regions like Nepal have long
practice of intensive subsistence farming in practice integrating all land use/land
cover units, which requires integrative approach to fully understand. However,
literatures concerning on integrated concept of understanding of this intensive
subsistence farming in the hills of Nepal is still lacking. Thus, this study is concerned
on 1) land use/land cover change, 2) land use intensity change, and 3) to identify
major determining factors of landuse intensity change. This study consists of very
valuable information to understand dynamics of land use intensity in the integrated
agriculture system. Even in the incompatible spatial scale of various data sources, this
study included maximum number of variable in order to identify major determining
factors of land use intensity dynamics.
This study is mainly based on secondary data source. However, primary information
was used for update and verification of data in order to identify the ground reality.
Various maps and other secondary information were collected from available sources.
Land use/land cover data were derived from aerial photo and high resolution satellite
image. Object based image analysis technique was used so as to derive land use/land
cover data. Several raster and vector based processes were executed in GIS to derive
explanatory variables. Quantified values of land use intensity makes possible to
address the complex spatial relationship of land use intensity dynamics with its
driving factors through multivariate geo-statistical analysis. Twenty four quantitative
explanatory variables were selected to test the strength of defining the dynamics of
land use intensity. Thus, the land use intensity change was response variable and 24
variables were explanatory variables. Finally, land use intensity method is very
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valuable concept to understand complex land use/land cover change and landscape
ecological system. The following findings have been derived in order to fulfill the
objectives of the study:
This study was conducted in the northeast part of Andhikhola watershed area located
in the middle Hill region of Nepal having altitude range from 800 m to 1600 m from
average mean sea level, which is located in subtropical and warm temperate climatic
regions. The annual rainfall is around 3500 mm in the study area, which is quite high
than national average 1600 mm. Only 13% of land has less than 5° and more than
50% land is 5° to 30° slope. This area is more accessible than most of the other Hill
regions of Nepal due to its connectivity with Siddhartha highway, which was
constructed in 1960s. Siddhartha highway crosses the study area and connected by
several branch roads to other parts of the study area. The district headquarter
including other market centers provide services with several service centers located in
urban areas and other rural areas. Traditional intensive subsistence farming practice is
dominant economic activities with limited commercial agriculture practice at
accessible areas. Recent outmigration of rural farmers from the hill, urbanization
process towards low land and accessible area are general scenario of the study area. It
has resulted increasing agriculture land abandonment in the hill slope area is
responsible for increasing greenery and increasing built up area along with the
Siddhartha highway.
First, abandonment of agriculture land converts into shrubs and shrubs into forest are
major land use/land cover changing pattern in the study area. Increasing built up area
in lowland along with highway has developed slowly and gradually into urban area.
Second, average land use intensity is decreasing in the study area. Most of the areas
have decreasing land use intensity. Marginal and remote areas has higher rate of
decreasing land use intensity than in lowland suitable areas for agriculture. Very
limited urban areas along with the highway have increasing rate of land use intensity.
Third, statistical analysis shows that the spatial distribution of land use intensity
dynamics is highly controlled by physical, accessibility and natural resource variables.
Incompatible spatial scale of socioeconomic data is the major cause of low strength of
determining land use intensity dynamic.
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Implementing part of land use policies in Nepal has remained weak since many
decades. Thus, traditional intensive subsistence farming system remained stagnant
over a long period of time with very limited commercialization in the accessible areas.
The income opportunities outside this area were the attracting attributes of rural
farmer to move them from their original places not only resulted agriculture land
abandonment, but also pressure release in forest, grass land and shrubs. These types of
heavy land use/land cover change has multifaceted implications on food security issue
due to shrinking agriculture land, loss of biodiversity due to the increasing invasive
plant, inter species competition between human and wildlife, biomass intensity due to
increasing vegetation and ground water recharge due to vegetation cover. These fields
need for further investigation.