The Evaluations of Land Use, Land Cover Changes and the Impacts to Ecosystem Services Values in Northeast Thailand

Abstract

Fluctuations in land use land cover (LULC) induces destruction of green cover, changes in nature, and pollution of water resources hence it disturbs ecosystem service values (ESVs). Objectives of the study were (1) to extract LULC status (from secondary data) and its change during the year 2008, 2013, 2018; (2) to assess LULC change impact on ecosystem service standards between 2008 and 2018. Therefore, to get status of LULC type, data of 2008, 2013, 2018 were classified from SERVIR-Mekong website under the Regional Land Cover Monitoring System (RLCMS). Ecosystem services (ESs) from the derived LULC data through simple benefit transfer method were then evaluated. Northeast Thailand was divided into three sections of big, medium and small provinces in terms of population density per area for a better comparison and analysis. Results revealed that cropland areas significantly decreased while forest land areas increased remarkably over the decade for all three sections. Whereas total ESVs increased for all sections from about 22837 million USD in 2008 to 23346 million USD in 2018 for the region. The impact that LULC changes had on ESVs remarkably fluctuated among the LULC categories according to the area and ESVs for individual LULC division over the decade. In conclusion, increase in ESV suggest that the region has great potential for land use and city planners to optimize the effect of LULC change on ESVs during the planning process.