доктор физико-математических наук;
doctor of physical and mathematical sciences;
Most Peat Hydrological Units (PHU) in South Sumatra, Indonesia, have been threatened by degradation from climate changes, human activities, and environmental factors. This study mapped land cover using Random Forest Classification and identified forest degradation using NDFI (Normalized Difference Forest Index) change analysis in several PHUs of the South Sumatra peatland from 2015 to 2023. We combined Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and Landsat-8 data for the land cover classification. Meanwhile, we utilized Landsat-8 to identify forest degradation. Our findings indicate that tree cover significantly decreased in 2015, 2019, and 2023, coinciding with severe drought conditions driven by El Niño events. A significant decrease in forest cover in 2019 was suggested by low tree cover, up to 47.1% of the total area of 1.054 million ha. Therefore, grassland and bare/sparse vegetation had more significant coverage percentages, reaching 22.89% and 11.40%, respectively, in 2019. Deforestation varied but generally decreased from 2015 to 2023, according to the analysis of NDFI changes. Vegetation regrowth increased notably from 2016 to 2020 and remained relatively stable afterward. In addition, forest disturbance decreased from 2015 to 2020 but slightly increased in the last few years. Although two PHUs have encountered more severe degradation, their peatland ecosystems included inside them have distinct characteristics. Specifically, the PHU of Sungai Saleh – Sungai Sugihan encompasses cultivated areas, whereas the PHU of Sungai Sugihan – Sungai Lumpur comprises protected areas. These findings highlight the need for restoration and sustainable land management to prevent further degradation
Most Peat Hydrological Units (PHU) in South Sumatra, Indonesia, have been threatened by degradation from climate changes, human activities, and environmental factors. This study mapped land cover using Random Forest Classification and identified forest degradation using NDFI (Normalized Difference Forest Index) change analysis in several PHUs of the South Sumatra peatland from 2015 to 2023. We combined Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and Landsat-8 data for the land cover classification. Meanwhile, we utilized Landsat-8 to identify forest degradation. Our findings indicate that tree cover significantly decreased in 2015, 2019, and 2023, coinciding with severe drought conditions driven by El Niño events. A significant decrease in forest cover in 2019 was suggested by low tree cover, up to 47.1% of the total area of 1.054 million ha. Therefore, grassland and bare/sparse vegetation had more significant coverage percentages, reaching 22.89% and 11.40%, respectively, in 2019. Deforestation varied but generally decreased from 2015 to 2023, according to the analysis of NDFI changes. Vegetation regrowth increased notably from 2016 to 2020 and remained relatively stable afterward. In addition, forest disturbance decreased from 2015 to 2020 but slightly increased in the last few years. Although two PHUs have encountered more severe degradation, their peatland ecosystems included inside them have distinct characteristics. Specifically, the PHU of Sungai Saleh – Sungai Sugihan encompasses cultivated areas, whereas the PHU of Sungai Sugihan – Sungai Lumpur comprises protected areas. These findings highlight the need for restoration and sustainable land management to prevent further degradation