Assessing the spatio-temporal impacts of land-use change in a primary forest of Ecuador

Abstract

This investigation focused on identifying deforested areas, tracking land use changes, and performing temporal analysis through thematic mapping in La Concordia canton, located in northwestern Ecuador. Utilizing NDVI analysis of Sentinel-2 L2A images from 2019, 2022, and 2023, the study assessed vegetation health and cover. NDVI values were categorized into land cover classes to calculate deforestation rates. The analysis reveals significant changes in La Concordia's vegetation, characterized by a decline in healthy vegetation and an increase in bare soil areas from 2019 to 2023, alongside a concerning deforestation rate of -3.89% over the same period. These findings underscore the urgent need for sustainable land management practices to address the impacts of agricultural expansion and intensification on the region’s ecosystem.

Keywords

• deforestation
• ndvi analysis
• land use change
• vegetation dynamics