Abstract
Land-use Changes in Kenya's forest ecosystems indicate changes that are at precedented rates due to natural and human factors. These changes could negatively affect the environment and human life at large. Kabras division of western Kenya is endowed by two forest ecosystems which include the Malava forest and Kisero forest. This study analysed trends in land use–land cover changes in the Kabras division for the last eight years. Landsat imageries downloaded from the United States Geological Survey archives were used to assess land use–land cover changes between 2013 and 2021 by the use of supervised classification using Arc GIS 10.8.1. The major Land Use-Land Cover (LULC) classified were natural forests, agriculture, settlements, and bareland. The Landsat images had an average overall classification accuracy of 87.12% and a kappa coefficient (K) of 0.84. The kappa coefficient was rated as substantial and the classified images qualified for further analysis. There was an inverse relationship between the size of land under agriculture versus the size of land under natural forests. Natural forests declined by 6.4% while agricultural land increased by 37.01%. Settlements also reported major declines of about 30 % with the majority of the land from forests and settlements being transformed to agricultural land. The main crop cultivated in the region is sugarcane. These findings reveal that the agroforestry program in the region may not have achieved much within the last eight years. These changes in land use and land cover require urgent sustainable management plans so as to protect and conserve the forests in the Kabras division. Sustainable land management strategies to be used in the future may include education on the significance of the forest ecosystem, community participation in sustainable utilization of forest eco-services, and the introduction of sustainable alternative sources of livelihoods.
Citations
IRE Journals:
Nelly Masayi
"Assessment of Land Use- Land Cover Changes in Kabras Division, Western Kenya (2013-2021)" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 5 Issue 5 2021 Page 1-7
IEEE:
Nelly Masayi
"Assessment of Land Use- Land Cover Changes in Kabras Division, Western Kenya (2013-2021)" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 5(5)
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