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Cropland expansion in Ecuador between 2000 and 2016
José I Ochoa-Brito1,2, Aniruddha Ghosh1,3, Robert J Hijmans1
1Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America.
Satellite data reveal cropland expansion in Ecuador's Amazon and Andes regions between 2000-2016, contrasting with government statistics. This highlights the importance of comparing diverse data sources for land use change analysis.
Area of Science:
- Environmental science
- Remote sensing
- Ecology
Background:
- Ecuador faces challenges in analyzing land use change due to persistent cloud cover.
- Accurate cropland distribution data is crucial for understanding environmental and economic shifts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To map and analyze cropland distribution changes in Ecuador between 2000 and 2016.
- To compare satellite-derived land use data with government statistics.
Main Methods:
- Developed a two-stage cloud filtering algorithm for Landsat satellite imagery.
- Employed a Random Forest model to identify cropland with high regional accuracy (78-98%).
Main Results:
- Cropland expanded most in the Páramo, Chocó Tropical Rainforests, and Western Montane bioregions.
- Satellite data indicated cropland expansion in the Andes (15%) and Amazon (57%), with a 4% contraction in the Coast region.
- Government data showed contrasting trends, with significant agricultural contraction in the Andes (39%) and Amazon (50%).
Conclusions:
- Satellite data are effective for tracking land use change trends, while government data may offer more accurate absolute values in certain areas.
- Discrepancies underscore the necessity of cross-validating data from multiple sources for robust land use change assessments.
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