Abstract:
The dynamics of the forest cover in Bale Mountains was still poorly understood.
The thesis use GIS and Remote sensing techn.ology to examine the forest cover in the
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study area.. This study examined land cover dynamics of the Adaba Dodola in three sub
periods; 1973 J986,
19'86 - 2000, and 2000 - 2006 and finally the period between 1973
and 2006.
Super~ed classification of satellite imagery through maximum likelihood
classifier was used
~o discriminate the four dominate land cover classes in the study area.
Land cover change was varying during these sub-periods.
In the past thirty three years
..
there was a general decline of forest cover. The study also shows an increase in the area
I
ooverage of agricultural field.
In the study area deforestation was severe along river valleys, near to settlement
and roads. In this areas, agricultural field increases at the expense
of forest cover. In
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addition rate of forest cover change varies among sub-regions, which is the highest
..
during 2000 - 2006 and the lowest in the period 1986 - 2000.
As examined from images deforestation was severe in lower slopes. In slopes
lower than
t 5 degree agricultural field increases at the expense of grass and forest land
cover.
At the end recommendations are made. These recommendations are the
implementation
of ecologically and econorri1cally valuable land uses such as agro
ecology and ecotourism.
