Predicting Changes in Landuse and Landcover in Niger Delta using Post Classification Analysis.

Abstract

Post Classification sorting was used to extract average spectral response of land cover classes in class boundaries between two images of 1996 and 2010 to generate land use change. A Landuse change extracted from cross-tabulation of classified clusters was observed in about 30,213 hectares in this scene area. Compared with the approximately 1.4 million hectares of land in the scene, a change of about 2.2% in classes of features between 1996 and 2010 were evident. Highly significant change was evident in the change from Scrub/Shrub in 1996 to Forest-Lowland swamp in 2010 which accounted for 31% of the change occurring in this scene. Landuse accounting from remote sensing and GIS can help planners integrate various uses of land for urbanization, industralisation or agriculture.

Keywords: Post Classification sorting, Change detection, Landuse-Landcover, Landuse change