Geospatial analysis of Agroforestry landscape in the Central Western Ghats, India, using Google Earth Engine

Assessing land cover land use change (LCLU) in the Central Western Ghats, India is crucial for evaluating ecosystem degradation and environmental processes influenced by climatic and anthropogenic pressures. Despite widespread awareness of the links between biodiversity loss and human wellbeing, the species continue to disappear at an alarming rate. This study investigates the LCLUC dynamics over the past two decades (2002–2023) in Central Western Ghats, spanning an area of 10,419 km² in Karnataka, India. The Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 satellite imagery served as primary data sources, employed in the Google Earth Engine, a cloud-based platform, to classify images using a Random Forest classifier validated with 17,639 ground training points. The analysis revealed that, dense forest covered largest area (6911.24 km²) followed by sparse forest (1242.73 km²) and cropland (1203.79 km²). Agroforestry and waterbody occupied 257.58 km² and 265.93 km², respectively, while built-up areas, barren land, and plantation forest constituted 326.70 km², 81.87 km² and 129.26 km², respectively. The results indicate a 7.14% reduction in dense forest area, contrasted with a 1.09% increase in agroforestry. The classification achieved an overall accuracy of 94.08% and Kappa index of 0.95. The study highlights alarming deforestation and land use change over two decades, while showcasing potential of agroforestry as a sustainable alternative. The findings underscore urgent need for target conservation strategy and advanced geospatial technologies to mitigate ecological degradation in Central Western Ghats.