title: Remote sensing and GIS-based integrated analysis of land cover change in Duzce plain and its surroundings (north western Turkey).
abstract: The aim of this study is to research natural land cover change caused by the permanent effects of human activities in Duzce plain and its surroundings, and to determine the current status of the land cover. For this purpose, two Landsat TM images were used in the study for the years 1987 and 2010. These images are analysed by using data image processing techniques in ERDAS Imagine©10.0 and ArcGIS©10.0 software. Land cover change nomenclature is classified according to the Coordination of Information on the Environment Level 2 Classification (1--urban fabric, 2--industrial, commercial and transport units, 3--heterogeneous agricultural areas, 4--forests, and 5--inland wetlands). Furthermore, the image analysis results are confirmed by the field research. According to the results, a decrease of 33.5 % was recorded in forest areas from 24,840.7 to 16,529.0 ha; an increase of 11.2 % was recorded in heterogeneous agricultural areas from 47,702.7 to 53,051.7 ha. Natural vegetation, which is the large part of land cover in the research area, has been changing rapidly because of rapid urbanisation and agricultural activities. As a result, it is concluded that significant changes have occurred on the natural land cover between the years 1987 and 2010 in the Duzce plain and its surroundings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, Art and Science Faculty, Sakarya University, 54100 Sakarya, Turkey. cikiel@sakarya.edu.tr
authors.forename: Cercis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ikiel
authors.forename: Beyza
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ustaoglu
authors.forename: Ayse Atalay
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Dutucu
authors.forename: Derya Evrim
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Kilic
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D018531:Spacecraft; D014197:Trees; D014421:Turkey; D014507:Urbanization; D053833:Wetlands