IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jlands/v6y2017i1p18-d92369.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Multi-Criteria Assessment of Land Cover Dynamic Changes in Halgurd Sakran National Park (HSNP), Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Author

Listed:
  • Rahel Hamad

    (Centre for Landscape and Climate Research (CLCR), Department of Geography, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
    Faculty of Science, Petroleum Geosciences Department, Soran University, Soran 44001, Iraq
    Centre for Natural Resources Research (CNRR), Soran University, Delyzian Road, Soran 44008, Iraq)

  • Heiko Balzter

    (Centre for Landscape and Climate Research (CLCR), Department of Geography, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
    National Centre for Earth Observation, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK)

  • Kamal Kolo

    (Faculty of Science, Petroleum Geosciences Department, Soran University, Soran 44001, Iraq
    Centre for Natural Resources Research (CNRR), Soran University, Delyzian Road, Soran 44008, Iraq)

Abstract

Halgurd Sakran National Park (HSNP) is Iraq’s first designated national park, located in the Kurdistan Region, which has suffered multiple armed conflicts over the past decades. This study assesses how vegetation dynamics have affected the landscape structure and composition of the core zone of the park over the last 31 years. Spatio-temporal changes in land cover were mapped for three points in time using remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and landscape metrics. Land cover changes were mapped using random forest classifications of satellite images from Landsat 5 TM, Landsat 7 ETM+, and Landsat 8 LDCM acquired in 1984, 1998, and 2015. Five landscape pattern metrics were analysed at class and landscape levels in order to quantify landscape patterns arising from land use and land cover (LULC) change in HSNP using FRAGSTATS 4.2. These landscape pattern metrics were patch metrics, area metrics, shape metrics interspersion/juxtaposition and contagion metrics and diversity metrics. Significant changes in cultivated areas after 1991 were observed, which indicate the role of anthropogenic activities in land cover change. Areas of bare surface and forest lands declined and became more fragmented in 1984 and 1998 while, at the same time, cultivated areas increased, with a continuing fragmentation of pasture land. Internal migration of people was one of the major drivers of LULC change. The results reveal that significant LULC changes in terms of composition and spatial structure over the 31-year period have occurred in the designated protected area. Landscape metrics were able to assess the trend of spatial patchiness over the studied period. A discussion of the significance of changes in land use systems for understanding the causes and consequences of change is provided.

Suggested Citation

  • Rahel Hamad & Heiko Balzter & Kamal Kolo, 2017. "Multi-Criteria Assessment of Land Cover Dynamic Changes in Halgurd Sakran National Park (HSNP), Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Using Remote Sensing and GIS," Land, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-17, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:6:y:2017:i:1:p:18-:d:92369
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/6/1/18/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/6/1/18/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Eric de Noronha Vaz & Teresa de Noronha & Peter Nijkamp, 2013. "An Exploratory Landscape Metrics Approach to Agricultural Changes: Applications of Spatial Economic Consequences for the Algarve, Portugal," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 13-140/VIII, Tinbergen Institute.
    2. Ezebilo, Eugene E. & Mattsson, Leif, 2010. "Socio-economic benefits of protected areas as perceived by local people around Cross River National Park, Nigeria," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 189-193, March.
    3. Lina Eklund & Jonathan Seaquist, 2015. "Meteorological, agricultural and socioeconomic drought in the Duhok Governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 76(1), pages 421-441, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Bo Mu & Guohang Tian & Gengyu Xin & Miao Hu & Panpan Yang & Yiwen Wang & Hao Xie & Audrey L. Mayer & Yali Zhang, 2021. "Measuring Dynamic Changes in the Spatial Pattern and Connectivity of Surface Waters Based on Landscape and Graph Metrics: A Case Study of Henan Province in Central China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-21, May.
    2. Lijun Mao & Mingshi Li & Wenjuan Shen, 2020. "Remote Sensing Applications for Monitoring Terrestrial Protected Areas: Progress in the Last Decade," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-27, June.
    3. Rahel Hamad & Kamal Kolo & Heiko Balzter, 2018. "Post-War Land Cover Changes and Fragmentation in Halgurd Sakran National Park (HSNP), Kurdistan Region of Iraq," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-17, March.
    4. Xiang Feng & Qian Peng & Yunnan Chen & Weiyue Li, 2022. "A Case Study of the Snow Leopard in Sanjiangyuan National Park Boundaries regarding Park Boundary Divergence," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-15, May.
    5. Bhagawat Rimal & Lifu Zhang & Nigel Stork & Sean Sloan & Sushila Rijal, 2018. "Urban Expansion Occurred at the Expense of Agricultural Lands in the Tarai Region of Nepal from 1989 to 2016," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-19, April.
    6. Rahel Hamad & Kamal Kolo & Heiko Balzter, 2018. "Land Cover Changes Induced by Demining Operations in Halgurd-Sakran National Park in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-15, July.
    7. Rahel Hamad & Heiko Balzter & Kamal Kolo, 2018. "Predicting Land Use/Land Cover Changes Using a CA-Markov Model under Two Different Scenarios," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-23, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fangbing Hu & Zhongjun Wang & Gonghan Sheng & Xia Lia & Can Chen & Dehui Geng & Xinchen Hong & Nuo Xu & Zhipeng Zhu & Zuofang Zhang & Liying Zhu & Guangyu Wang, 2022. "Impacts of national park tourism sites: a perceptual analysis from residents of three spatial levels of local communities in Banff national park," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 3126-3145, March.
    2. Gebregziabher, Dawit & Soltani, Arezoo, 2019. "Exclosures in people’s minds: perceptions and attitudes in the Tigray region, Ethiopia," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 1-14.
    3. Tamás Telbisz & Zoltán Imecs & András Máthé & László Mari, 2023. "Empirical Investigation of the Motivation and Perception of Tourists Visiting the Apuseni Nature Park (Romania) and the Relationship of Tourism and Natural Resources," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-17, February.
    4. Lina Eklund & Abdulhakim Abdi & Mine Islar, 2017. "From Producers to Consumers: The Challenges and Opportunities of Agricultural Development in Iraqi Kurdistan," Land, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-14, June.
    5. Nikoleta Jones & James McGinlay & Andreas Kontoleon & Victoria A. Maguire-Rajpaul & Panayiotis G. Dimitrakopoulos & Vassilis Gkoumas & Jan Åge Riseth & Kalev Sepp & Frank Vanclay, 2022. "Understanding Public Support for European Protected Areas: A Review of the Literature and Proposing a New Approach for Policy Makers," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-15, May.
    6. Roberto Rodríguez-Díaz & Víctor Javier Colino-Rabanal & Alejandra Gutierrez-López & María José Blanco-Villegas, 2020. "Effect of Protected Areas on Human Populations in the Context of Colombian Armed Conflict, 2005–2018," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-20, December.
    7. Eugene Ezebilo, 2016. "Willingness to Pay for Maintenance of a Nature Conservation Area: A Case of Mount Wilhelm, Papua New Guinea," Asian Social Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(9), pages 149-149, September.
    8. Levent Latifoğlu & Mehmet Özger, 2023. "A Novel Approach for High-Performance Estimation of SPI Data in Drought Prediction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-29, September.
    9. Bin Yang & Jun He, 2021. "Global Land Grabbing: A Critical Review of Case Studies across the World," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-19, March.
    10. D. Březina & P. Hlaváčková, 2016. "The assessment of economic indicators of National Park Administrations," Journal of Forest Science, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 62(2), pages 88-96.
    11. Jiawei Zhou & Xiaohong Chen & Chuang Xu & Pan Wu, 2022. "Assessing Socioeconomic Drought Based on a Standardized Supply and Demand Water Index," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 36(6), pages 1937-1953, April.
    12. Anwar Hussain & Khan Zaib Jadoon & Khalil Ur Rahman & Songhao Shang & Muhammad Shahid & Nuaman Ejaz & Himayatullah Khan, 2023. "Analyzing the impact of drought on agriculture: evidence from Pakistan using standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 115(1), pages 389-408, January.
    13. Rahel Hamad & Kamal Kolo & Heiko Balzter, 2018. "Post-War Land Cover Changes and Fragmentation in Halgurd Sakran National Park (HSNP), Kurdistan Region of Iraq," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-17, March.
    14. Ayhan Akyol & Türkay Türkoğlu & Sultan Bekiroğlu & Ahmet Tolunay, 2018. "Resident perceptions of livelihood impacts arising from the Kızıldağ National Park, Turkey," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 1037-1052, June.
    15. Jovana Brankov & Jasna Micić & Jelena Ćalić & Jelena Kovačević-Majkić & Ranko Milanović & Tamás Telbisz, 2022. "Stakeholders’ Attitudes toward Protected Areas: The Case of Tara National Park (Serbia)," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-25, March.
    16. Brankov Jovana & Glavonjić Tamara Jojić & Pešić Ana Milanović & Petrović Marko D. & Tretiakova Tatiana N., 2019. "Residents’ Perceptions of Tourism Impact on Community in National Parks in Serbia," European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 11(1), pages 124-142, March.
    17. Daisy Das, 2015. "Conflict or Conservation? A Roadmap for Management of Kaziranga National Park, India," Working Papers 1502, Sam Houston State University, Department of Economics and International Business.
    18. Ling-Zhong Lin & Chi-Fang Lu, 2013. "Fuzzy Group Decision-Making in the Measurement of Ecotourism Sustainability Potential," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 22(6), pages 1051-1079, November.
    19. Jeremy Horowitz & Robert L. Pressey & Georgina G. Gurney & Amelia S. Wenger & Kristina A. Pahang, 2018. "Investigating Stakeholder Perceptions of Fish Decline: Making Sense of Multiple Mental Models," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-26, April.
    20. Rafael Robina-Ramírez & Marcelo Sánchez-Oro Sánchez & Héctor Valentín Jiménez-Naranjo & José Castro-Serrano, 2022. "Tourism governance during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis: A proposal for a sustainable model to restore the tourism industry," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 6391-6412, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:6:y:2017:i:1:p:18-:d:92369. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.