Estimation of area under agroforestry using high resolution satellite data

Abstract

Agroforestry is an integrated self-sustainable land use management system that is not only capable of producing food from marginal agricultural land but also capable of maintaining and improving the quality of environment. It plays a vital role in achieving integrated rural and urban development. But reliable data on area under agroforestry is not available as methodology for estimation of area under agroforestry is not yet standardized. In this paper, we propose to use remote sensing techniques for estimation of area under agroforestry using high resolution satellite data. Area under agroforestry in Ludhiana district of Punjab State, India has been estimated using the proposed methodology. Land use/land cover map of the district has also been generated using ERDAS IMAGINE software. It has been observed from the accuracy assessment that the estimate of area under agroforestry obtained using the proposed methodology under this study is reliable. Further, area under agroforestry has been classified into detailed classes within agroforestry.