Evaluation of logging impacts on tropical rainforest in Eastern Cameroon using Remote Sensing and GIS techniques

Various strategies and techniques have been designed and implemented to study the effects of logging activities on tropical rainforest amongst which remote sensing and GIS analysis. But there are still few measures available on the effects of industrial timber on forest ecosystem. This paper examined the impact of logging activities on tropical rainforest in Eastern Cameroon with the objectives of demonstrating the process whereby tropical rainforest got transformed into forest fragmentation and canopy damage. The study made use of data generated from Landsat TM (1986) and Landsat ETM + (2000). The satellites images covering the area were analysed using the Maximum Likelihood algorithm. The observed changes were mapped and the results of the classification were prepared as different theme in a GIS software. The classification results reveal a canopy damage of 10.8%, the construction of 109.224 km of road and the fragmentation of forest into 18 parts.Keywords: Forest Management Unit (FMU), Remote sensing, GIS, logging impact, logging road, forest fragmentation