FOREST CONDITION ASSESMENT IN LIWONDE FOREST RESERVE USING MULTISPECTRAL DATA

Forest deterioration has been a global concern in recent years. The increased pace of deforestation in Malawi is concerning, and thus calls attention to the need to assess the state of the forest in Malawi. The forest in Malawi, especially Liwonde National Park, was employed in this study to examine the current status of the forest stand. The major goal of this research was to use multispectral remote sensing data to assess the state of the forest. In this case, Landsat multispectral data for 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 were evaluated using different methods including the vegetation indices
NDVI and EVI, as well as Maximum Likelihood classification, using Quantum GIS (QGIS) software with the aim of mapping forest cover and density in Liwonde forest reserve, and mapping changes in forest cover and density in Liwonde forest reserve. However, in both NDVI, EVI and Maximum likelihood supervised classification the forest vegetation cover has been in dynamic state, such that from 2005 to 2015 the forest vegetation has been increasing as recovering from the 2005 Malawi drought that was declared as a national disaster by late president Dr. Bingu Wa Mutharika on 15thOctober 2005. Then from 2015 to 2020 the results show that the forest cover and density has been declining that is from dense forest to moderate and sparse vegetation cover in the Liwonde forest. While population growth and poverty are important factors in deforestation, Low rainfall should also be taken into account as a factor that affects forest cover and density. Thus a call for the planting of trees that can tolerate drought (low rainfall) and are resistant to parasites and diseases.

In this case, Landsat multispectral data for 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 were evaluated using different methods including the vegetation indices
NDVI and EVI, as well as Maximum Likelihood classification, using Quantum GIS (QGIS) software with the aim of mapping forest cover and density in Liwonde forest reserve, and mapping changes in forest cover and density in Liwonde forest reserve. However, in both NDVI, EVI and Maximum likelihood supervised classification the forest vegetation cover has been in dynamic state, such that from 2005 to 2015 the forest vegetation has been increasing as recovering from the 2005 Malawi drought that was declared as a national disaster by late president Dr. Then from 2015 to 2020 the results show that the forest cover and density has been declining that is from dense forest to moderate and sparse vegetation cover in the Liwonde forest. While population growth and poverty are important factors in deforestation, Low rainfall should also be taken into account as a factor that affects forest cover and density.

Liwonde forest reserve, Malawi, comprises 276.83 square kilometers (km2) and is located in the Upper Shire River Valley, 35 kilometers south of Lake Malawi's southernmost extent, mostly inside the Machinga District, at a Latitude: -15°8'6.18" Longitude: 35°23'24.26” coordinates. Riverine wetlands, deciduous forests, open grasslands, mopane and miombo woods, palm savannahs, and countless baobabs are also part of the forest reserve. The reserve is mostly flat and has an elevation of 1045 meters and is southwest of Chaoni Hill.

Traditional authority: TA Liwonde

District: Machinga

Coordinates: -14.93345, 35.4012