Simulation of Land Use/Land Cover Spatial Pattern Based on CA–Markov and SLEUTH Models in Chuman-Kalas Basin

One of the primary causes of environmental change is land-use change. Human drivers create changes in land use, which have an influence on environmental features and natural resources such as water quality, land resources, air quality, and ecosystem processes. The Ca-Markov model was used in this work to simulate land-use/land-cover changes. The SLEUTH technique was also used to model metropolitan environments. The results indicated that the forest will be badly damaged, meaning that forest cover would be restricted to the highlands. Grasslands and agricultural fields will replace forest cover, and agricultural lands will be replaced by towns and urban regions. The horizontal development of Baneh and Piranshahr cities was bigger than that of Sardasht, which had a higher population and more active economic activity. According to the predicted land-use land-cover scenario, this covering will be maintained in the next years, but the watershed will become more prone to soil loss, landslides, increased air pollution, and gully erosion. As a result, governments, landscape planners, and decision-makers must adopt precise and effective strategies and strategies to support sustainable development and maintain the basin in order to reduce the severity of the impacts.

Keywords:

Landuse/Landcover changes , Ca-Markov , SLEUTH , Chuman-Kalas basin