Modelling the dynamics of land cover by 2050 in the north-western Atacora (Benin, West Africa)
1 National Institute of Agricultural Research of Benin (NIARB), Cotonou, Benin.
2 Laboratory of Geosciences, Environment and Applications, National University of Sciences, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics, Abomey, Benin.
3 Cartography Laboratory (LaCarto), University of Abomey-Calavi, Abomey-Calavi, Benin.\
Research Article
GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2022, 19(01), 100–112.
Article DOI: 10.30574/gscbps.2022.19.1.0131
Publication history:
Received on 01 March 2022; revised on 04 April 2022; accepted on 06 April 2022
Abstract:
In the north-western Atacora region, the rugged terrain limits access to agricultural land and creates a particular dynamic of land cover. The objective of this research is to simulate land cover in the 2050s in the mountainous area of northwestern Atacora in Benin. Landsat 5 TM images from 1988 and Landsat 8 OLI-TIRS from 2020 are the main data used. Supervised classification and modelling were performed with Idrisi Selva software. The annual regression rate is 18.30 % and the projection to 2050 predicts the disappearance of dense dry forests and a reduction of forest galleries and woodlands in favour of field and fallow mosaics (56.03 %) and tree and shrub savannas (25.23 %).
Keywords:
Atacora; Dynamics; Land Cover; Modelling; Vegetation
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