Dynamics of Timberline Due to Spatio-Temporal Changes Using GIS and RS in the Gori Ganga Watershed, Kumaun Himalaya, Uttarakhand

International Journal of Geoinformatics and Geological Science

© 2021 by SSRG - IJGGS Journal

Volume 8 Issue 1

Year of Publication : 2021

Authors : D. S. Parihar

10.14445/23939206/IJGGS-V8I1P105

How to Cite?

D. S. Parihar, "Dynamics of Timberline Due to Spatio-Temporal Changes Using GIS and RS in the Gori Ganga Watershed, Kumaun Himalaya, Uttarakhand," SSRG International Journal of Geoinformatics and Geological Science, vol. 8,  no. 1, pp. 42-47, 2021. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23939206/IJGGS-V8I1P105

Abstract:

Present research paper is an attempt to examine the dynamics of timberlines by using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in the Gori Ganga watershed, Kumaun Himalaya, Uttarakhand (India). For the study of detect timber lines dynamics used of Landsat-5,8 and Cartosat-1 satellite imageries of three different time periods like Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) of 1990, Landsat-5 (TM) of 1999 and Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager and Thermal Infrared Sensor (OLI and TIRS) of 2016 and Cartosat-1 of 2008. Geographical distribution of average timberline height reveals that in 1990 about 3516.11 m, in 1999 about 3680.69 m and in 2016 about 4060.58 m which is Change from vegetation to timber area and during 1990-1999 about 197.58 km2 areas and during 1999-2016 about 463.95 km2 area of the Gori Ganga watershed was converted from non-timber to timber area. These data suggest that due to global warming, about 544.47 m timberline average height and 661.53 km2 timber area of Gori Ganga watershed has been shifted into non-timber cover to timber cover area at an average rate of 20.94 m/year and 25.44 km2/year from 1990 to 2016.

Keywords:

NDVI, TimberLine Dynamics, Kumaun Himalaya, Remote Sensing, and GIS

References:

[1] Abdelsalam., The ecological components of the management of natural forest in drylands. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Sudan, Sudan, (2004) 53-69
[2] M. Beniston, H.F. Diaz, and R.S. Bradley., Climate changes at high elevation sites, Climate Change, 36 (3-4) (1997) 233-251.
[3] H. Demirel, C. Ozcinar, and G. Anbarjafari., satellite image contrast enhancement using discrete wavelet transform and singular value decomposition, IEEE geosciences, and remote sensing letters, 7 (2) (2010) 333-337.
[4] D.M. El-Shikha, P. Waller, D. Hunsaker, T. Clarke, and E. Barnes., Ground-based remote sensing for sensing for assessing water and nitrogen status of broccoli, Agriculture water management, 92 (2007) 183-193.
[5] B.N. Holben., Characteristics of maximum value composite images for temporal AVHRR data, International journal of remote sensing, 7 (1986) 1417–1437.
[6] J.L. Innes., The impacts of climatic extremes on forests: an introduction. M. Beniston, J.L. Innes (Editors), The Impacts of climatic variability on forests, Springer- Berlag, Berlin, (1998) 1-18.
[7] R.W. Katz, and B.G. Brown., Extreme events in a changing climate: variability is more important than averages, Climate Change, 21 (3) (1992) 289-302.
[8] C. Korner., A re-assessment of high elevation treeline positions and their explanation, Oecologia, 115 (1998) 445–459.
[9] C. Korner., Treelines will be understood once the functional difference between a tree and a shrub is, AMBIO: A Journal of the human environment, 41 (2012) 197–206.
[10] W. Li, and P. Chou., The geographical distribution of the spruce-fir forest in China and its modeling, Mountain research and development, 4 (1984) 203.
[11] P. Wardle, Alpine timberline, Arctic and alpine environments, J.D., Barry, R.G. Methuen (editor), London, (1974) 371–402.
[12] Y. Yang, J. Zhu, C. Zhao, S. Liu, and Tong., The Spatial continuity study of NDVI based on Kriging and BPNN algorithm, Journal of mathematical and computer modeling, (2010) 77-85.
[13] X. Zhang, Y. Hu, D. Zhuang, Y. Oi, and Ma., NDVI spatial pattern and its differentiation on the Mongolian plateau, Journal of Geographical Sciences, 19 (2009) 403-415.
[14] Y. Zheng., A study on the correlation between mountain forest vegetation and climate in the southeastern part of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Institute of geography, Chinese academy of sciences, 20 (1995) 12–19.