Application of Landscape Metrics for Analyzing Land Use/Land Cover Changes on Wetland: Bueng Khong Long Non-Hunting Area

Abstract

The objective of this study is to classify, monitor, and assess land use/land cover
(LU/LC) change in the Bueng Khong Long non-hunting area and the surrounding area of
Bueng Kan province between the years 2000 and 2011, based on Landsat-5 TM imagery. As
a result, the highest of LU/LC in year 2000 was field crop area (30.91 %) while the highest
of LU/LC in year 2011 was trees and fruit trees (56.39 %) that increased from 19.60 % in
2000. Field crop area in year 2011 occupied only 0.42 %; field crop area in 2000 was
chargerd to be fruits and trees area in 2011 (about 73.48 km2 or 96.63 % of the field crop
area in 2000). In summary, LU/LC change with landscape index consisted of 4 patterns: 1)
fragmentation phase such as community area, 2) shrinkage phase such as paddy field, 3)
attrition stage such as field crop area and forest area, and 4) the especially aggregated area
such as perennial and orchard area. Reservoir was not so much changed.