Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
ABSTRACT
Studies on land use aspects of ecosystem play an important role in identifying major problems and to take
suitable action to maintain Ecological equilibrium in the region. The main objective of this study is to provide a
baseline status of the study area so that present land use pattern and temporal changes occurred, on the surroundings
can be evaluated. Comparative land use pattern and land cover classes of Ludhiana district, Punjab, India for the years
in the due course of time using Remote Sensing and GIS tools. The LANDSAT imageries of three years were studied
with a purpose to know the status of land use and land cover changes in the study area. Land use and land cover classes
along with the changes under different categories were identified from the satellite imageries. It was found that green
cover and agricultural land were decreasing at an alarming rate and land was turning to barren land.
KEYWORDS: Ecological Equilibrium, Land Use, Land Cover, Natural Vegetation, Remote Sensing and GIS
Original Article
1991, 2003 and 2014 were studied which indicated that the area under all land use and land cover classes has changed
Received: Oct 01; Accepted: Oct 17; Published: Oct 22; Paper Id: IJEEFUSDEC20151
INTRODUCTION
The land cover reflects the biophysical state of the earths surface and immediate subsurface, thus
including the soil material, vegetation, and water (Prakasam, 2010). It is the physical and biological material found
on the earths surface weather it is natural or manmade, (Environmental Literacy Council, 2008). Land us is
generally relates to the human activities associated with the specific piece of land and land cover is the physical
material at the surface of the earth. (Lilles and Kiefer, 2008). Land carries an ecosystem which is under the
application of human control, in a fairly systematic manner, in order to derive benefits from it. Land Use and Land
Cover (LULC) mark a significant impact on the environment of the area (Jerzy, 1983). The conversion of
agricultural land to non-agricultural uses is almost foreseeable and irreversible. Campbell (1987) defined the land
cover as the vegetation (natural or planted) and human constructions that is found on the earths surface.
Land change puts a significant impact of the environment of the any area (Kostrowicki, 1983). So, wide-ranging
information on the spatial distribution of land use pattern and their change is prerequisite for planning, utilization
and management of the land resources. Such information, therefore, permits a better understanding of the land
utilization aspects such as cropping pattern, grazing lands, forest land, waste lands, built up land surface water
bodies, settlements and communication network, which are vital for overall developmental planning (Brar, 2013).
www.tjprc.org
editor@tjprc.org.
Shakha Sharda, Madhuri Rishi, Karanjot Kaur Brar & Gurmeet Kaur
caused rapid changes in LULC and increased environmental degradation (Holdgate, 1993). The conversion of rural areas
into urban areas through development is currently occurring at an unprecedented fast rate in recent human history and is
having a striking effect on the natural functioning of ecosystems (Turner and Meyer 1994). There is always a need to
develop a classification scheme for the whole area and divide all the features into different classes according to our
constraint, for the better understanding of the land-use and land cover change of the area and make our work more useful
and authentic (Anderson et al., 1976). The effect of population is particularly relevant to the change in land use pattern as it
is estimated that the global urban population is projected to almost double by 2050 (FAO, 2009).
Agriculture
Forest
Settlements
Barren Land
Water Bodies
The developmental blocks of the study were identified under these categories from the satellite imageries: Landsat
TM, 1991, 2003 and Landsat ETM+, 2014 (Figures 2a-c). Blocks under these classes are further verified by field checks.
The detail of area under each category is shown below in Table 1 and Figure 3. On the basis of analysis of the area for the
years 1991, 2003 and 2014, several changes were found in every land use and land cover of the study area.
Table 1: Changes in Land Use and Land Cover in Ludhiana District (1991-2014)
S.No.
1991
(Km2)
(1)
2003
(Km2)
(2)
Agriculture
1576.12
1501.37
Forests
125.28
147.07
Barren lands
45.22
55.04
Settlements
184.80
229.81
Water bodies
19.73
17.92
1951.15
1951.21
Total
www.tjprc.org
Changes
(Km2) /
% (1-2)
-74.75
(4.74%)
21.79
(17.39%)
9.82
(21.71%)
45.01
(24.35%)
-1.81
(9.17%)
2014
(Km2)
(3)
1382.57
138.82
58.61
345.79
25.43
Changes
(Km2)
(2-3)
-118.8
(7.91%)
-8.25
(5.60%)
3.57
(6.48%)
115.98
(50.46%)
7.51
(41.90%)
Changes
(Km2)
(1-3)
-193.55
(12.28%)
13.54
(10.80%)
13.39
(29.61%)
160.99
(87.11%)
5.7
(28.89%)
1951.22
editor@tjprc.org.
Shakha Sharda, Madhuri Rishi, Karanjot Kaur Brar & Gurmeet Kaur
Figure 2b: Land Use and Land Cover of Study Area in 2003
www.tjprc.org
editor@tjprc.org.
Shakha Sharda, Madhuri Rishi, Karanjot Kaur Brar & Gurmeet Kaur
CONCLUSIONS
The results obtained from remote sensing and GIS techniques were compared with the ground reality and they
were found in coherence with each other. The results were found near to the reality. Remote Sensing is very useful for the
view of the study area. Different time period satellite imageries (1991, 2003 and 2014) were very useful for the detection
of changes, which are taking place in short time period of over two decades. The study on land use and land cover changes
using remote sensing and GIS techniques, in the study area showed that the green cover was decreasing at an alarming rate.
Most of the land which were under green cover and agricultural land in 1991 has turned either barren or has been occupied
by humans in 2014 indicating trend of decreasing natural vegetation in the area under investigation. The cause of this may
be attributed to the degradation of soil and water quality in the area. Also there was increase in water bodies in this period
like major sources for drinking and irrigation especially to cater to the needs of ever increasing population.
REFERENCES
1.
Anderson, J. R., Hardy, E., Roach, J. T. and Richard, E.W. (1976). A Land use and Land cover classification
system for use with Remote Sensing Data, Geological Survey Professional: 964.
2.
Brar, G. S. (2013). Detection of Land Use and Land Cover Change with Remote Sensing and GIS: A Case Study
of Punjab Siwaliks, International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences, 4(2): 296-304.
3.
Campbell, D. J., Lusch, D.P., Smucker, T. and Wangui, E. E. (2003). Root Causes of Land Change in the
Loitokitok Area, Kajiado District, Kenya, Land Use Change, Impacts and Dynamics Project, Working Paper
Number: 19.
4.
5.
Dezso, Z., Bartholy, J., Pongracz, R. and Barcza, Z. (2005). Analysis of land-use/land-cover change in the
Carpathian region based on remote sensing techniques, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 30: 109-115.
6.
Environmental
Literacy
Council
(2008).
Land,
web
available
at
http://www.
Enviroliteracy.org
Fan, F., Weng, Q. and Wang, Y. (2007). Land Use and Land Cover Change in Guangzhou, China, from 1998 to
2003, based on Landsat TM /ETM+ Imagery, Sensors, 7: 1323-1342.
8.
9.
Gosal, G.S. (2004). Physical Geography of the Punjab, Journal of Punjab Studies, 11(1): 19-37.
10. Holdgate, M.W. (1993). The sustainable use of tourism; a key conservation issue. Ambio, 22: 481-482.
11. Jerzy, K. (1983). Impact on Environment, an Attempt at a Classification, Advances in Spatial Research, 2(8):209215.
12. Lilles, T. M. and Kiefer, R. W. (2008). Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation, John Wiley and Sons, USA, 4th
edition.
13. Lunetta, R.L., Knight, F.K., Ediriwickrema, J., Lyon, J.G. and Worthy L.D. (2006). Land cover Change Detection
using Multi-Temporal MODIS NDVI Data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 105: 142-154.
14. Panahi, A., Alijani, B. and Mohammadi, H. (2010). The Effect of the Land Use/Cover Changes on the Floods of
the Madarsu Basin of Northeastern Iran, J. Water Resource and Protection, 2: 373-379.
15. Prakasam, C. (2010). Land Use and Land Cover Change Detection through Remote Sensing Approach: A case
study of Kodaikanal Taluk, Tamil Nadu, International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences, 1(2): 150-158.
16. Rajan, K.S. and Shibasaki, R. (2000). A GIS Based Integrated Land Use/Cover Change Model to Study Humanland Interactions, International Archives of Photo grammetry and Remote Sensing, 33(B7): 1212-1219.
17. Ranjana,S., Rishi, M.S. and Lata, R. (2014). Comparative change in land use/land cover in the buffer zone of
Kashlog limestone mines, Darlaghat, Himachal Pradesh, India using remote sensing and GIS tools, International
journal of remote sensing and geosciences, 3 (6): 27-30.
18. Rao, K. S. and Pant, R. (2001). Land Use Dynamics and Landscape Change Pattern in a Typical Micro
Watershed in the Mid Elevation Zone of Central Himalaya, India, Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 86:
113-123.
19. Sharda,S., Brar, K.K., Kaur, G. and Rishi, M. (2015). Assessment of groundwater quality in relation to
agricultural purposes in parts of Ludhiana district, Punjab, India, International journal of environmental
sciences, 5 (4):802-813.
20. Sohl, T. L. and Sohl, L. B. (2012). Land-Use Change in the Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens Eco region,
Geographical Review, 102(2): 180-201.
21. Turner, B.L. and Meyer, W.B. (1994). Global land-use and land-cover change: an overview. Pp.310 in W.B.
Meyer and B.L. Turner (editors), changes in Land Use and Land Cover: A Global Perspective. Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge England.
www.tjprc.org
editor@tjprc.org.