New perspectives on economic development in Africa

Landsat 4 MSS data were analysed in conjunction with an amount of ancillary data to identify forest cover types. Computer analysis of data as complemented by ground truths evince that the study area is covered by evergreen forest (hill evergreen), mixed deciduous forest, mixed deciduous/evergreen forest, dry dipterocarp forest, scrub forest and fallow agricultural land respectively. Higher spectral reflectance (78%) was observed for evergreen forest as compared to only 65% for dry dipterocarp forest in the infrared wavelength (MSS band 7). Landsat MSS band 7 was found excellent for discrimination of different types of forest cover in the study area. Total forest coverage was obtained 63% (188 km2) as compared to 68.3% in 1982. The classification accuracy of the Landsat MSS data was found 82% with less 20% omission and commission errors.

M. M. Dey

Papers

Remote sensing of forest cover distribution in the Phu Wiang watershed area of Khon Kaen province, northeast of Thailand