Land Use Mapping Using GIS Technology for Forest Ecosystem Management. A Case Study from Epirus, Greece

Dimitra Lambropoulou, Konstantinos Tsaktsiras and Triantafyllos Albanis

Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, (EL)

Abstract

Forestry is now at a crossroads, facing major challenges in response to public pressures, environmental concern with sustainable development, new knowledge about ecosystems and emerging new technologies. These challenges affect traditional forest management philosophy, forestry research, and education. In this perspective the goals of modern managers of forested lands include not only timber production but also ecological, wildlife, water, recreational, and other objectives.
The focus of the forest landscape management, like contemporary management, is the management of the forest structure. Forest landscape management, however, is based on the premise that resource flows as well as biodiversity levels and ecosystem processes are determined by the array and spatial arrangement of forest conditions, i.e. spatial structure, and its change over time. In this sense, a GIS research environment, due to spatial and thematic overlay, seems to be a useful tool for studying landscape spatial structure and landscape change analysis.
This study presents an application of Geographical Information System (GIS) technology in the land use mapping for the forest area of Konitsa (8.277 hectares) (Epirus), Greece. Input data was obtained to develop a GIS database that could be useful for future forest planning and provide a more accurate characterization of land uses. To obtain the available database, the following methodological sequence was used: bibliographical data; satellite images (1:5,000) and aerial photos (with an approximate scale of 1:15,000, 1983); elaboration of a record list; field work, software development, operational tests, data digitization and result analysis. Topographic and hydrographic data, street system and contour lines were converted into digital format. This digital topographic information was then used to obtain a digital model of the terrain and slope charts. The forest type data obtained were used to quantify the landscape structure and to evaluate the effects of cutting and forest road building on landscape changes. The database obtained describes field board measures, timber lines, main geological conditioning, soil type, socioeconomic data, potential damages, other features observed, photos and sketches. Finally, the advantages of the GIS technology in the forest landscape management were discussed.