Applying Remote Sensing to Assessing Land Use and Land Cover Change, and Its Impact on Soil Erosion: Case of Pali Gad Watershed, Northern India

Abstract

Abstract:

Mountain ecosystems cover about 24% of the earth. s surface, which provides vital environmental goods and
services. Twelve per cent ( or about 720 million) of the global human population live in mountains. Thewestern Himalaya
is one of the most populated areas in the world. The long history of human activities has significantly contributed to land
use and land cover changes ( LUCC) , which further impacts on soil erosion and decreasing of land productivity. This paper
allied remote sensing for assessing the LUCC and its impact on the soil erosion processes for past two decades in Pali
Gad watershed, northern regions. A processed basedMorgan Parametric Model has been used to determine the rate of erosion.
The results show that the LUCC dynamics much depend on the aspect. The altitude and slope is no more a constraint
for access to nature resources. The human activities have shifted towards higher altitudes and steeper slopes, which eventually
causes soil erosion in the mountain regions.

Key words: Geographic information system, Himalaya, Land use and land cover change, Remote sensing, Soil erosion

CLC Number:

Q 948

LI Qiao-Hong-, Xiu-Jian-Chu-**, PK. JOSHI, Nikhil LELE. Applying Remote Sensing to Assessing Land Use and Land Cover Change, and Its Impact on Soil Erosion: Case of Pali Gad Watershed, Northern India[J]. Plant Diversity, 2006, 28(2): 175-182.

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