Abstract

NEMMAOUI, Abderrahim; GARCIA-LORCA, Andrés M; AGUILAR, Fernando J.  and  AGUILAR, Manuel A.. Time series of vegetation for a destroyed forest model: The case of Tadla Azilal (Morocco). Agrociencia [online]. 2013, vol.47, n.3, pp.267-280. ISSN 2521-9766.

The hypothesis of this methodological proposal is based on the fact that the recently introduced OBIA techniques (Object Based Image Analysis), applied to satellite images of medium resolution and wide historic availability, represent an efficient and accurate tool in detecting changes in coverage and use of soil at regional geographic scale. As an example of its potential an analysis of the phenomenon of deforestation was performed between 1973 and 2010 in the region of Tadla Azilal (Morocco) through the use of satellite images of the Landsat series. This area was officially declared affected by acute deforestation in several studies and ministerial reports, but there was lack of quantitative information to substantiate this opinion. The results were very promising in terms of accuracy and ease of implementation (Kappa= 0.817 and overall accuracy=87.55±4.1 %). A net process of deforestation in the region with a total forest loss of 56 % in the period 1973-2010 was estimated, equivalent to an average annual deforestation rate close to 1.5 %.

Keywords : satellite image; OBIA techniques; deforestation; Tadla Azilal.

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