Measuring Indicators for Landscape Change in Kon Tum Province, Vietnam

Lai Vinh Cam, Nguyen Van Hong, Vuong Hong Nhat, Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, 

Nguyen Phuong Thao, Tran Thi Nhung, and Le Ba Bien

Institute of Geography, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Vietnam

Abstract: This paper’s aim is concentrated on measuring the difference in landscape visual character as an indicator of landscape change. Seven landscape character indicators are used for calculating in a study area in Kon Tum province, Vietnam; concluding Landscape Shape Index, Aggregation Index, Number of Patches, Patch Density, Patch Cohesion Index, Perimeter - Area Ratio, Percentage of Landscape. This set of indicators proposed in previous research by McGarigal and Marks (1995) and calculated with GIS, Fragstats software. These indicators also express the attributes of the component maps which we used for main input data are land-use map, digital elevation map and soil map. These are the necessary mapping materials for calculating the indicators. In the method is used in this paper, a value for each indicator will be assigned for each observation to capture the character of the landscape. They will be compared with each other and considered changes in the forest, agricultural, artificial and others. This work is replicable and transparent, and constitutes a methodological step for landscape indication, since it adds a reference value for analyzing differences in landscape character. The difference among landscape units is then measured as an indicator of landscape change. The analysis of the difference is used to explain the manmade changes in the landscape. The results show that the difference in landscape character is mainly due to the loss of naturalness and the increase in landscape complexity brought about by agriculture and urban development.