Abstract:
Land use/land cover (LULC) dynamicshave significantly influenced ecosystem service
around the world in recent years. This study analyzed the spatial extent and trends of
LULC, socioeconomic drivers of LULC change, LULC change induced ESV changes and
implications on ecosystem services in Wayu-Tuka District, Western Ethiopia. Data were
acquired from landsat images for three periods (MSS from 1990, TM from 2000, ETM
from 2010, and OLI for2020) to develop LULC maps. Landsat images were extracted and
classified by using arc GIS 10.3 through supervised classification method and maximum
likelihood classifier. To confirm the accuracy classified for LULC, accuracy score and
kappa coefficient was used. ESV change (1990-2020) was estimated using LULC
categorized areas. Socioeconomic data also collected through household survey to
understand the driver of LULC changes. Pearson correlation and binary logistic
regression models were used to analysis the socioeconomic data. Through satellite image
analysis five major LULC classes were identified that include forest, cultivated land,
settlement, bare land, and water body. Forest coverage reduced progressively from
12.4% in 1990 to 2.6% in 2020 within the past three decades, while cultivated land,
settlement and water body have been quantified by an average rate of 0.41% per year.
The result of the study also indicated that in 1990, forest accounted 46.1% ($4.95million)
of ESV; after30 years (2020) crop/cultivated land accounted 63.3% ($5.21million) of
ESV. Analysis of household survey revealed that age and gender show a Pearson’s
positive correlation with land use/land cover changes; while land holding size and
educational status show a negative correlation. The model was statistically significant at
(x2=23.971, df =5, P<0.001). The study findings also revealed that, educational status,
age, and gender influenced the drivers of LULC dynamics in the study area. The assessed
result specified that the implications of LULC change on selective ecosystem services
provided (fire wood & charcoal) value in Wayu-Tuka district were US$7,594.5 and
US$37,234 respectively. Agricultural land expansion, fuel wood extraction, and illegal
settlements were identified as the primary drivers of ecosystem services changes in the
study area. Therefore, local people, the governments and other concerned bodies should
work together to solve sustained removal of forests and their ecosystem services in the
Wayutuka District, western Ethiopia.
