Land use/land cover change along elevation and slope gradient in highlands of Ethiopia

This study used Landsat TM, Landsat ETM +, and OLI data from 1986, 2003, and 2017, and topographic attributes derived from ASTER digital elevation model respectively, to map land use/land cover (LU/LC) in a predominantly agricultural region of northwestern highlands Ethiopia. LU/LC maps were created using supervised classification, and LU/LC change the mapping for the 1986-2003 and the 2003-2017 period determined using post-classification comparisons. The study found the proportion of agricultural land increased from 85.4% of the total area in 1986 to 93.3% in 2017. This increase coincided with a 3.5% decrease in a forested area, a 1.9% decrease in grazing land, and a 1.8% decrease in shrubland. The LU/LC changes mostly occurred in areas having a slope between 0 and 30.. This study has the potential to provide new and practical information for managers and planners for an infrequently studied region and contribute to the growing literature on the topographic factors for LU/LC changes.