Resource information
SUMMARY:
"Myanmar is one of the most forested countries in
mainland South-east Asia. These forests support a
large number of important species and endemics and
have great value for global efforts in biodiversity
conservation. Landsat satellite imagery from the
1990s and 2000s was used to develop a countrywide
forest map and estimate deforestation. The country
has retained much of its forest cover, but forests
have declined by 0.3% annually. Deforestation varied
considerably among administrative units, with central
and more populated states and divisions showing
the highest losses. Ten deforestation hotspots had
annual deforestation rates well above the countrywide
average. Major reasons for forest losses in these
hotspots stemmed from increased agricultural conversion,
fuelwood consumption, charcoal production,
commercial logging and plantation development.
While Myanmar continues to be a stronghold for
closed canopy forests, several areas have been
experiencing serious deforestation. Most notable are
the mangrove forests in the Ayeyarwady delta region
and the remaining dry forests at the northern edge of
the central dry zone."...
Keywords: biodiversity, change detection, deforestation rates,
forest, forest dynamics, Landsa
