Forest Cover Changes during 1974–2005 in the Lithuanian Coastal Region

International audienceThe aim of the present paper is to identify and analyse forest cover changes from 1974 to 2005 in Klaipeda district in the Lithuanian coastal region. Measurements and spatial analysis -modelling of forest land cover changes have been made by the use of different spatial data: Landsat satellites images (for 1974, 1986, and 2001) and airborne colour photography (for 2005). All forest parcels, identifi ed on remote sensing processing images, are digitised in vector fi les at different dates: in 1974, 1986, 2001 and 2005. Standard geo-processing techniques are used for spatial forest cover analysis and modelling of forest parcels growth and transformation during the period 1974 -2005. According to our results, forest area in Klaipeda district has increased from 20.8 % in 1974 to 23.9 % in 2005. In Klaipeda city the forest area increased to 2 % during period 1986-2005: from 18.4 % in 1986 to 20.4 % in 2005. The results correspond with the offi cial statistics about forest area growth in all Lithuania and in Klaipeda region. The main identified factors of forest cover changes are political, economical, and social. Forest recovering programs and decrease of agricultural activities in the past decade have a very important role on increase of forested areas