Abstract:
Deforestation is one of the major changes in terrestrial landscapes that affect the
environment. It is caused by anthropogenic activities and a myriad of natural
factors which cause a global loss of natural biodiversity and alteration of ecological
processes and services across different ecosystems. An analysis of the spatial
temporal changes in land use and land cover was done in Kahe Forest. Moderate
resolution land satellite images were downloaded from the United States
Geological Survey (USGS) archives and analyzed using the random forest (RF)
algorithm and mapped in ArcGIS 10 software to ascertain the changes that took
place in land use and land cover in Kahe Forest from 1998 to 2018. A
questionnaire and key informant interviews were used to collect data. Findings
show that, agricultural land and grassland increased by 7% and 14%while the
forest area decreased from 85% to 51%due in the same period caused by
escalation of human activities. The underlying causes of the changes include rapid
population growth, wild fires, climate change and variability as well as human
activities. It is recommended that adoption of sustainable forest-management
strategies such as enforcement of the existing conservation laws and regulations
and of alternative environment-friendly sources of livelihoods mainly community
based forest management should be enhanced all stakeholders including the
government and the community.
