Application of Geographic Information System in the Analysis of Areas at Risk from Encroachment at the Phu Koh–Phu Kratae Wildlife Sanctuary, Loei Province

Abstract

Past forest declines has been attributed to various factors, which can be either physical or socio-economic in nature. The objectives of this study were to analyze the factors influencing the encroachment at the Phu Koh-Phu Kratae wildlife sanctuary, Loei province and to analyze the areas at risk for encroachment. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a suitability score was given based on the feedback of the chief of wildlife sanctuary, and was analyzed in conjunction with the Geographic Information System (GIS). The results indicated that the factors most probably responsible for the encroachments the sanctuary and a surrounding area of 3 kilometers from boundary of the sanctuary, were the distance from the village, distance from the roads, distance from the stream, slope, distance from the wildlife sanctuary protection unit, soil series, and elevation, with a weighted score of 0.24, 0.23, 0.19, 0.12, 0.08, 0.08, and 0.06, respectively. The risk level of encroachment was divided into 4 groups as high, moderate, low, and very low covering 40.40, 46.48, 13.05 and 0.07 % of the total area, respectively. In addition, high risk areas were located at Si Than, Kaeng Si Phum, Huai Som, and Huai Si Siat sub-districts. By overlaying the areas under risk of encroachment with 42 points of cases registered in the forest, we determined that the areas with high, moderate, and low levels of encroachment coincided with 40.48, 50.00 and 9.52 % of all forest cases, respectively. The results of this study could be utilized for planning the management of Phu Koh-Phu Kratae wildlife sanctuary. Additionally, it could be used to make protection plans, especially in high encroachment risk areas.

Keywords:  Geographic information system, Encroachment risk area, Analytic hierarchy process.