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Center for Environmental Sciences & Engineering

IEEE J. Sel. Topics Appl. Earth Observat. Remote Sens.

Geospatial strategy for forest biomass estimation of tropical forest of Sariska Wildlife Reserve (India)

This study focus on the biomass estimation of Sariska Wildlife Reserve using forest inventory and geospatial approaches to develop a model based on the statistical correlation between biomass measured at plot level and the associated spectral characteristics. The multistage statistical technique with incorporated the satellite data of IRS P-6 LISS III gives a precise estimation of biomass. Forest cover, forest stratum, and biomass maps were generated in the study. Spectral signatures along with tonal and textural variations were used to classify different forest types validated with GPS and ground truth data. Altitude dependent vegetation and contour information from toposheets were also considered while classifying imagery during interpretation. Sample plots were laid in study area with 0.1 ha area at intersect of the diagonals of the plots. DBH and height of all the trees inside the plot were measured and converted to biomass using volumetric equations depending upon specific gravity. The specific gravity of each tree species differ from each other and sometimes unique in different regions and varies from forest type of different regions. Estimation of tree biomass can serve as useful benchmark for future studies in related areas. Linear equation obtained was used as the model to generate final biomass map where predicted and estimated biomass were compared for each band of the satellite imageries. Linear, logarithm and power exponential models were compared to each other for correlation coefficient. Correlation between estimated and predicted AGB is 0.835 and coefficient of determination (r 2) value is 0.698. © 2008-2012 IEEE.

IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing

Geospatial strategy for tropical forest-wildlife reserve biomass estimation

This paper presents the implementation of a Geospatial approach for improving the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) disposal suitability site assessment in growing urban environment. The increasing trend of population growth and the absolute amounts of waste disposed of worldwide have increased substantially reflecting changes in consumption patterns, consequently worldwide. MSW is now a bigger problem than ever. Despite an increase in alternative techniques for disposing of waste, land-filling remains the primary means. In this context, the pressures and requirements placed on decision makers dealing with land-filling by government and society have increased, as they now have to make decisions taking into considerations environmental safety and economic practicality. The waste disposed by the municipal corporation in the Bhagalpur City (India) is thought to be different from the landfill waste where clearly scientific criterion for locating suitable disposal sites does not seem to exist. The location of disposal sites of Bhagalpur City represents the unconsciousness about the environmental and public health hazards arising from disposing of waste in improper location. Concerning about urban environment and health aspects of people, a good method of waste management and appropriate technologies needed for urban area of Bhagalpur city to improve this trend using Multi Criteria Geographical Information System and Remote Sensing for selection of suitable disposal sites. The purpose of GIS was to perform process to part restricted to highly suitable land followed by using chosen criteria. GIS modeling with overlay operation has been used to find the suitability site for MSW. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011.

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

Geospatial strategy for sustainable management of municipal solid waste for growing urban environment

Purpose: The purpose of study is linked to management and policy-making strategies, such as forest management, land use planning and sustainable management of natural resources. It aims to help prevent forest fire by taking precautions. It also aims to be helpful for authorities coping during the event of occurrence of fire. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology paradigm applied here is based on knowledge-based and analytic hierarchy process(AHP)techniques. Knowledge-based criteria involve topographic and different themes for risk assessment. The assignment of value given to equation is significant due to its importance. Findings: Results are in strong agreement with actual fire occurrences in the past years. The risk zones are identified according to past occurrence of fire. The gradients of low- to high-risk zones are according to fuel, topographic features and weather conditions. Direction and aspect value were taken accordingly. Originality/value: The paper presents forest fire risk zones designed on knowledge-based information. Crisp and fuzzy AHP approaches were applied to improve the efficacy of the model. The mapping results were in accordance with actual fire occurrences in the past years. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Fulltext

Disaster Prevention and Management

Fuzzy AHP for forest fire risk modeling

Land consumption is increasing rapidly with the exponential growth of population. The built-up environment configuration influences the management processes for development and other municipality works. Population growth also affects the availability of land for different purposes in its spatial distribution. The present study was conducted using satellite remote sensing data Landsat MSS (Multi-spectral Scanner), ETM+ (Enhanced Thematic Mapper), IRS P-6 (Indian Remote Sensing Satellite), LISS IV (Linear Imaging Self-Scanner), and IRS P-5 Cartosat-1 for the assessment of urban area change dynamics between years 1976 and 2008 in Bhagalpur city in the state of Bihar in India. The ground truth and coordinate points were collected using a Global Positioning System (GPS) for the location of the built-up themes prepared in the Geographic Information System (GIS). Land Consumption Rate (LCR) and Land Absorption Coefficient (LAC) were introduced to aid in the quantitative assessment changes. The results show a rapid growth in land consumption rate till 1976, reduction in 1999 and again increase in 2008. © 2012 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Journal of Land Use Science

Assessment of land consumption rate with urban dynamics change using geospatial techniques

Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel resource present in Jharia. This is the most exploited coal field because of available metallurgical grade coal reserves. Mining in this coal field was initially in the hands of private entrepreneurs, who had limited resources and lack of desire for scientific mining. The mining method comprised of both open cast as well as underground. The open cast mining areas were not back filled, so large void is present in the form of abandoned mining. Extraction of thick seam by caving in past at shallow depth has damaged the ground surface in the form of subsidence and formation of pot holes or cracks reaching up to surface, enhancing the chances of spontaneous heating of coal seams and mine fire. This coal field is engulfed with about 70 mine fires, spread over an area of 17.32 sq. km., blocking 636 million tonnes of coking coal and 1238 million tonnes of non-coking coal. Around 34.97 sq. km. area of the Jharia Coal Field (JCFis under subsidence. It is mentioned in JCF reconstruction program that 70% of the underground production of coal would come by caving and balance 30% by stowing and thus about 101 sq. km. underground mining area would be affected by subsidence. The other factor, which damages the land in JCF, is opencast mining and overburden dumps. Most of the built-up area is under risk zone because of mine fires activities. Mine fire and surface subsidence is the major problem in the JCF. The present study shows the settlement under risk zone using the high resolution merged data.

Life Science Journal

Settlement risk zone recognition using high resolution satellite data in jharia coal field, dhanbad, India

Environmental protection and encroachments have turned out to be a cause for heritage and cultural conservation. Heritage and cultural assets should be given special importance than the public and private places. Heritage assets, cultural life and its history are the main elements of a city’s identity (Borer, 2006). City is considered to be peculiar with its historical heritage, cultural concept and society. The identity of the heritage should be treated as regional term and not at local term for conservation strategies. Due to heritage conservation at regional label, there is development of the concept of identity, cultural attractiveness and sense of location (Lieber, 2002). Heritage conservation means to prioritise large geographical eco-regions and developing targeted outcomes at global level. Development of crisis-driven and opportunistic approaches for conservation was broadly explored in particular reference to World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) (Hails, 2007).The development of conservation strategies for protection of heritage and cultural buildings at global level brings the attention of the World Heritage Convention rules (UNESCO Report, 2010). At global level, UNESCO has declared many sites as world heritage and efforts have been made to protect them from destruction. According to the World Heritage Convention rule, each country shall provide precise information indicating the boundary of the site as well as the boundary of the ‘buffer zone’ surrounding the site of the heritage and cultural buildings. The Convention also requests that both of these areas (site-boundary and site-buffer zone) should be protected by an appropriate legislation.

On-floor area based approach for heritage conservation and management Published in:(September 2011)

J GIS Trends

Geospatial approach for allocation of potential tourism gradient sites in a part of Shimla District in Himachal Pradesh, India

In order to investigate the role of frankial siderophores in minimizing metal toxicity, Frankia strains were grown at different concentrations of Mg2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+. Growth was observed up to 500 mmol L-1 Mg2+, 10 μ mol L-1 Cu2+, and 10 μmolL-1 Zn2+ while the maxima were at 200 μmol L-1 Mg2+, 1 μmol L-1 Cu2+, and 1 μmol L-1 Zn2+. The siderophore production was increased up to 500 μmol L-1 Mg2+, 10 μmol L-1 Cu2+, 100 μmol L-1 (hydroxamate type), and 200 μmol L-1 (catecholate type) Zn2+ while maximum production was found at Mg2+ (200 μmol L-1), Cu2+ (10 μmol L-1), and Zn2+ (10 μ molL-1). The results suggested that the growth was protected at higher concentrations of Mg2+ (up to 500 μmol L-1), Cu2+ (10 μ molL-1), and Zn2+ (10 μ mol L-1), possibly due to enhanced siderophore production. Thus, siderophores minimize the metal-induced inhibition of growth in Frankia, likely due to regulation of nutritional imbalances and metabolic processes during adaptation towards metal stress and/or metal toxicity. © 2010 Taylor &amp; Francis.