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Spatio-temporal Analysis of Land Use and Land Cover Change in the Achanakmaar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve, Central India: Implications for Forest Degradation and Conservation Planning

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) Change plays a crucial role in influencing ecological stability, biodiversity, and climate dynamics. This study investigates the spatio-temporal dynamics of LULC in the Achanakmaar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve (AABR), a critical ecological zone in Central India using 2001 and 2021 Landsat imagery, geospatial tools- ArcGIS, and maximum likelihood classification approach. Effort was made to map and analyze changes in major land cover types, viz., dense mixed forest (DMF), sal mixed forest (SMF), bamboo brakes (BB), teak plantation (TP), open mixed forest (OMF), agricultural land (AG), human habitations (HH), and water bodies (WB). The results revealed a significant decline in forested area, particularly DMF (-43.93 km²), SMF (-50.77 km²), BB (-6.07 km²), TP (-40.63 km²), and WB (-3.20 km²), while OMF (+131.14 km²), AG (+23.65 km²), and habitations (+2.88 km²) showed notable expansion in two decades. These trends are consistent with anthropogenic pressures reported in similar tropical forest ecosystems. The findings of this study corroborate with the global studies that tropical forests are under increasing threat due to unsustainable land use transitions. Our findings underscore the urgent need for policy interventions and ecological restoration through community-based forest management, reforestation, and promotion of sustainable agroforestry practices. This study contributes novel insights into the regional forest degradation patterns in Central India and demonstrates the utility of remote sensing for long-term environmental monitoring.

Source: Journal of Geomatics

DOI: 10.58825/jog.2026.20.2.313

Authors: Jiwan Lal, Lalji Singh, Tarun Kumar Thakur, R. K. Chaturvedi, J. S. Singh, Ekta Singh, Digvesh Kumar Patel, Yamini Baghel

Institutions: Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Banaras Hindu University, Department of Forestry

Language: English

Topic: Remote Sensing and Land Use

Subfield: Atmospheric Science

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Climate action

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W7224094679

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