Open AccessLand Cover Change in the Silang-Santa Rosa River Subwatershed, Laguna, Philippines
Author(s) -
Kathreena G. Engay-Gutierrez
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of environmental science and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.156
H-Index - 9
ISSN - 0119-1144
DOI - 10.47125/jesam/2015_1/04
Subject(s) - land cover , geography , land use , population , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , ecology , demography , geotechnical engineering , sociology , engineering , biology
Patterns of land cover change in the Silang-Santa Rosa River Subwatershed in Laguna province were documented through the conduct of Participatory Rural Appraisal approaches and GIS mapping. Drivers and impacts of land cover change in the upland, mid slope and lowland barangays of the subwatershed are influenced by local socioeconomic (investment and livelihood opportunities, and population increase) and biophysical conditions (fertile soil, abundance of quality groundwater, and suitability of land for conversion). For comparing land use changes, 1993 and 2008 land cover maps were generated from classified satellite images using ArcGIS. Land cover patterns in the subwatershed showed series of spatial changes as follows: perennials to grassland then to built-up in the uplands and farmlands to idle lands then to built-up in the lowlands.