J. For. Sci., 2023, 69(5):217-227 | DOI: 10.17221/111/2022-JFS


Estimation of land cover changes and biomass carbon stock in north-eastern hill forests of BangladeshOriginal Paper

Tahmina Afroz1, Md. Giashuddin Miah1, Hasan Muhammad Abdullah1, Md. Rafiqul Islam2, Md. Mizanur Rahman3
1 Department of Agroforestry and Environment, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh
2 Department Department of Agronomy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh
3 Department of Soil Science, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh


Forests are atmospheric CO2 sinks, but their losses and degradation accelerate the emissions of carbon stored as a sink. Deforestation and forest degradation are widespread in Bangladesh, but their impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is unknown. We assess land use and land cover (LULC) change and forest loss in this study by classifying different Landsat satellite imagery with a focus on forest cover loss from 1989 to 2020. Tier 1 standards were used to estimate the carbon removal and emissions from a small-scale tropical forest. Over the last three decades, the forest area has decreased by 2.40%, 3.74% and 7.52%, respectively. The primary causes of forest loss are large-scale tea garden and homestead expansion, as well as increase in agricultural activities. Because of a reduction in the forest area, the annual gain of carbon in forest biomass has also decreased. Although overall carbon emission was a net gain for the Maulvibazar hill forest, it has decreased from 331.24 Gg·yr–1 in the first decade (1989 to 2000) to 307.7 Gg·yr–1 in the most recent decade (2011 to 2020), which is an alarming trend. As a result, this research will contribute to leaders’ commitment to “halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030” at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 26) in 2021 to improve carbon sequestration, combat climate change and conserve biodiversity.

Keywords: carbon storage; emission; land transformation; remote sensing; trees

Received: August 18, 2022; Accepted: April 17, 2023; Published: May 29, 2023  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Afroz T, Giashuddin Miah M, Abdullah HM, Rafiqul Islam M, Mizanur Rahman M.
Estimation of land cover changes and biomass carbon stock in north-eastern hill forests of Bangladesh. J. For. Sci. 2023;69(5):217-227. doi: 10.17221/111/2022-JFS.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Ahammad R., Stacey N., Eddy I.M., Tomscha S.A., Sunderland T.C. (2019): Recent trends of forest cover change and ecosystem services in eastern upland region of Bangladesh. Science of the Total Environment, 647: 379-389. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    2. Ahmed N., Cheung W.W., Thompson S., Glaser M. (2017): Solutions to blue carbon emissions: Shrimp cultivation, mangrove deforestation and climate change in coastal Bangladesh. Marine Policy, 82: 68-75. Go to original source...
    3. Ahmed N., Mahbub R.B., Hossain M.M., Sujauddin M. (2020): Modelling spatio-temporal changes of tropical forest cover in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh. Journal of Tropical Forest Science, 32: 42-51. Go to original source...
    4. Akinyemi F.O. (2017): Land change in the central Albertine rift: Insights from analysis and mapping of land use-land cover change in north-western Rwanda. Applied Geography, 87: 127-138. Go to original source...
    5. Alam A., Bhat M.S., Maheen M. (2020): Using Landsat satellite data for assessing the land use and land cover change in Kashmir valley. GeoJournal, 85: 1529-1543. Go to original source...
    6. Barker T., Bashmakov L., Bernstein J.E., Bogner J.E. (2007): Forestry. In: Metz B., Davidson O., Bosch P., Dave R., Meyer L.A. (eds): IPCC Climate Change 2007. Mitigation. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press: 543-578.
    7. Bustamante M.M.C., Roitman I., Aide T.M., Alencar A., Anderson L.O., Aragao L., Asner G.P., Barlow J., Berenguer E., Chambers J., Costa M.H., Fanin T., Ferreira L.G., Ferreira J., Keller M., Magnusson W.E., Morales-Barquero L., Morton D., Ometto J.P.H.B., Palace M., Peres C.A., Silvério D., Trumbore S., Vieira I.C.G. (2016): Toward an integrated monitoring framework to assess the effects of tropical forest degradation and recovery on carbon stocks and biodiversity. Global Change Biology, 22: 92-109. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    8. Chakroborty S., Al Rakib A., Al Kafy A. (2020): Monitoring water quality based on community perception in the Northwest Region of Bangladesh, In: 1st International Student Research Conference - 2020, Dhaka, Dec 2020: 8.
    9. Chen C.F., Son N.T., Chang N.B., Chen C.R., Chang L.Y., Valdez M., Centeno G., Thompson C.A., Aceituno J.L. (2013): Multi-decadal mangrove forest change detection and prediction in Honduras, Central America, with Landsat imagery and a Markov chain model. Remote Sensing, 5: 6408-6426. Go to original source...
    10. Curtis P.G., Slay C.M., Harris N.L., Tyukavina A., Hansen M.C. (2018): Classifying drivers of global forest loss. Science, 361: 1108-1111. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    11. Davis K.F., Koo H.I., Dell'Angelo J., D'Odorico P., Estes L., Kehoe L.J., Kharratzadeh M., Kuemmerle T., Machava D., Pais A.J.R., Ribeiro N., Rulli M.C., Tatlhego M. (2020): Tropical forest loss enhanced by large-scale land acquisitions. Nature Geoscience, 13: 482-488. Go to original source...
    12. FAO (1988): Land Resources Appraisal of Bangladesh for Agricultural Development. Report 2. Agro-Ecological Regions of Bangladesh. Rome, United Nations Development Programme, Food and Agricultural Organization: 20.
    13. FAO (2015): Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015: How Are the World's Forests Changing? Rome, Food and Agriculture Organization: 54.
    14. FAO (2020): Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 - Country Report: Bangladesh. Rome, Food and Agriculture Organization: 72.
    15. Gao Y., Skutsch M., Paneque-Gálvez J., Ghilardi A. (2020): Remote sensing of forest degradation: A review. Environmental Research Letters, 15: 103001. Go to original source...
    16. GoB (2019): Tree and Forest Resources of Bangladesh: Report on the Bangladesh Forest Inventory. Dhaka, Forest Department, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh: 213.
    17. Hansen M.C., Potapov P.V., Moore R., Hancher M., Turubanova S.A., Tyukavina A., Thau D., Stehman S.V., Goetz S.J., Loveland T.R., Kommareddy A., Egorov A., Chini L., Justice C.O., Townshend J.R.G. (2013): High-resolution global maps of 21st-century forest cover change. Science, 342: 850-853. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    18. Hoque S.N.M., Ahmed M.M.M., Bhuiyan M.I. (2019): Investigating rapid deforestation and carbon dioxide release in Bangladesh using geospatial information from remote sensing data. Ecocycles, 5: 97-105. Go to original source...
    19. Islam M.N., Al-Amin M. (2019): Life behind leaves: Capability, poverty and social vulnerability of tea garden workers in Bangladesh. Labor History, 60: 571-587. Go to original source...
    20. Islam M.J., Wagner T.W., Xie Y., Mahboob M.G. (2011): Tropical deforestation in Bangladesh and global warming. In: Proceedings of the International Conference of Environmental Aspects of Bangladesh (ICEAB 2011): 115-118.
    21. Islam M., Deb G.P., Rahman M. (2017): Forest fragmentation reduced carbon storage in a moist tropical forest in Bangladesh: Implications for policy development. Land Use Policy, 65: 15-25. Go to original source...
    22. Islam M.R., Khan M.N.I., Khan M.Z., Roy B. (2021): A three decade assessment of forest cover changes in Nijhum dwip national park using remote sensing and GIS. Environmental Challenges, 4: 100162. Go to original source...
    23. Kafy A.A., Naim N.H., Khan M.H.H., Islam M.A., Al Rakib A., Al-Faisal A., Sarker M.H.S. (2021): Prediction of urban expansion and identifying its impacts on the degradation of agricultural land: A machine learning-based remote-sensing approach in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. In: Singh R. (ed.): Re-envisioning Remote Sensing Applications. Boca Raton, CRC Press: 85-106. Go to original source...
    24. Kawsar M.H., Pavel M.A.A., Uddin M.B., Rahman S.A., Mamun M.A.A., Hassan S.B., Alam M.S., Tamrakar R., Wadud M.A. (2015): Quantifying recreational value and the functional relationship between travel cost and visiting national park. International Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 1: 84-89.
    25. Lü X.T., Yin J.X., Jepsen M.R., Tang J.W. (2010): Ecosystem carbon storage and partitioning in a tropical seasonal forest in Southwestern China. Forest Ecology and Management, 260: 1798-1803. Go to original source...
    26. Mal S., Singh R.B., Huggel C., Grover A. (2018): Introducing linkages between climate change, extreme events, and disaster risk reduction. In: Mal S., Singh R.B., Huggel C. (eds): Climate Change, Extreme Events and Disaster Risk Reduction. Cham, Springer: 1-14. Go to original source...
    27. Mattsson E., Ostwald M., Nissanka S.P. (2018): What is good about Sri Lankan homegardens with regards to food security? A synthesis of the current scientific knowledge of a multifunctional land-use system. Agroforestry Systems, 92: 1469-1484. Go to original source...
    28. Mukul S.A., Biswas S.R., Rashid A.Z.M.M., Miah M.D., Kabir M.E., Uddin M.B., Alamgir M., Khan N.A., Sohel I.M.S., Chowdhury M.S.H., Rana M.P., Rahman S.A., Khan M.A.S.A., Hoque M. A.A. (2014): A new estimate of carbon for Bangladesh forest ecosystems with their spatial distribution and REDD+ implications. International Journal of Research on Land-use Sustainability, 1: 33-41.
    29. Murshed M., Ferdaus J., Rashid S., Tanha M.M., Islam M. (2021): The Environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis for deforestation in Bangladesh: An ARDL analysis with multiple structural breaks. Energy, Ecology and Environment, 6: 111-132. Go to original source...
    30. Pan Y., Birdsey R.A., Fang J., Houghton R., Kauppi P.E., Kurz W.A., Phillips O.L., Shvidenko A., Lewis S.L., Canadell J.G., Ciais P., Jackson R.B., Pacala S.W., McGuire A.D., Piao S., Rautiainen A., Sitch S., Hayes D. (2011): A large and persistent carbon sink in the world's forests. Science, 333: 988-993. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    31. Pavanelli J.A.P., Santos J.R.D., Galvão L.S., Xaud M., Xaud H.A.M. (2018): PALSAR-2/ALOS-2 and OLI/LANDSAT-8 data integration for land use and land cover mapping in northern Brazilian Amazon. Boletim de Ciências Geodésicas, 24: 250-269. Go to original source...
    32. Pearson T.R., Brown S., Murray L., Sidman G. (2017): Greenhouse gas emissions from tropical forest degradation: An underestimated source. Carbon Balance and Management, 12: 1-11. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    33. Potapov P.V., Dempewolf J., Talero Y., Hansen M.C., Stehman S.V., Vargas C., Rojas E.J., Castillo D., Mendoza E., Calderón A., Giudice R., Malaga N., Zutta B.R. (2014). National satellite-based humid tropical forest change assessment in Peru in support of REDD+ implementation. Environmental Research Letters, 9: 124012. Go to original source...
    34. Potapov P., Siddiqui B.N., Iqbal Z., Aziz T., Zzaman B., Islam A., Pickens A., Talero Y., Tyukavina A., Turubanova S., Hansen M.C. (2017): Comprehensive monitoring of Bangladesh tree cover inside and outside of forests, 2000-2014. Environmental Research Letters, 12: 104015. Go to original source...
    35. QGIS Development Team (2021). QGIS Geographic Information System. Open Source Geospatial Foundation Project. Available at: http://qgis.osgeo.org
    36. Rahman M.S., Mohiuddin H., Kafy A.A., Sheel P.K., Di L. (2019): Classification of cities in Bangladesh based on remote sensing derived spatial characteristics. Journal of Urban Management, 8: 206-224. Go to original source...
    37. Reddy C.S., Saranya K.R.L., Pasha S.V., Satish K.V., Jha C.S., Diwakar P.G., Dadhwal V.K., Rao P.V.N., Murthy Y.V.N.K. (2018): Assessment and monitoring of deforestation and forest fragmentation in South Asia since the 1930s. Global and Planetary Change, 161: 132-148. Go to original source...
    38. Saimun M.S.R., Karim M.R., Sultana F., Arfin-Khan M.A. (2021): Multiple drivers of tree and soil carbon stock in the tropical forest ecosystems of Bangladesh. Trees, Forests and People, 5: 100108. Go to original source...
    39. Salunkhe O., Khare P.K., Kumari R., Khan M.L. (2018): A systematic review on the aboveground biomass and carbon stocks of Indian forest ecosystems. Ecological Processes, 7: 1-12. Go to original source...
    40. Sangermano F., Toledano J., Eastman J.R. (2012): Land cover change in the Bolivian Amazon and its implications for REDD+ and endemic biodiversity. Landscape Ecology, 27: 571-584. Go to original source...
    41. Thurner M., Beer C., Santoro M., Carvalhais N., Wutzler T., Schepaschenko D., Shvidenko A., Kompter E., Ahrens B., Levick S.R., Schmullius C. (2014): Carbon stock and density of northern boreal and temperate forests. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 23: 297-310. Go to original source...
    42. Turner D.P., Koerper G.J., Harmon M.E., Lee J.J. (1995): Carbon sequestration by forests of the United States. Current status and projections to the year 2040. Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 47: 232-239. Go to original source...
    43. UN Climate Change UK (2021): Glasgow leaders' declaration on forests and land use. Available at: https://go.nature.com/3GSEMgm
    44. Vanonckelen S., Lhermitte S., Van Rompaey A. (2015): The effect of atmospheric and topographic correction on pixel-based image composites: Improved forest cover detection in mountain environments. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 35: 320-328. Go to original source...
    45. Vieilledent G., Vancutsem C., Achard F. (2022): Forest refuge areas and carbon emissions from tropical deforestation in the 21st century. Available at: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.22.485306v3
    46. Yang H., Viña A., Winkler J.A., Chung M.G., Huang Q., Dou Y., McShea W.J., Songer M., Zhang J., Liu J. (2021): A global assessment of the impact of individual protected areas on preventing forest loss. Science of the Total Environment, 777: 145995. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    47. Zeng Z., Estes L., Ziegler A.D., Chen A., Searchinger T., Hua F., Guan K., Jintrawet A., Wood, E.F. (2018): Highland cropland expansion and forest loss in Southeast Asia in the twenty-first century. Nature Geoscience, 11: 556-562. Go to original source...
    48. Zhang C., Sargent I., Pan X., Gardiner A., Hare J., Atkinson P.M. (2018): VPRS-based regional decision fusion of CNN and MRF classifications for very fine resolution remotely sensed images. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 56: 4507-4521. Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content