Remote sensing and gis applications for monitoring multi- temporal changes of natural resources in Bursa-Turkey

The main objective was to investigate multi-temporal changes of the natural resources using remote sensing and geographic information system techniques. Landsat5 TM full frame images of 16 June 1984 and 06 August 1998 were used in this study. For this aim, three sub-scenes covering the Bursa city built-up area, Uluabat Lake and Mount Uludağ and its surroundings were extracted from the images. Geometric correction and image enhancement were made for the comparison time series remote sensing data, exact image-on-map overlay and better visual interpretation. Boundary of the Bursa City built-up area and Uluabat Lake was produced from visually interpreted image using both screen and tablet digitizing. Biomass changes of the Mount Uludağ and its surroundings were gathered from normalized vegetation index classification. The results revealed that the Bursa City built up areas have been expanded at a rate of 142.5 % from 5089 hectares (in 1984) to 12343 hectares (in 1998). The expansions in the built-up areas have been mainly occurred in valuable agricultural lands. In addition, the coverage area of the Uluabat Lake decreased at a rate of 12 % from 133.1 km2 ( in 1984) to 116.8 (in 1998) km2 due to sediments transported by the surface water of surrounding irrigated agricultural lands, tributary streams and mainly Mustafakemalpaşa River. Moreover, we found that 26292 ha mainly forest and floral areas have been degraded in fourteen years period