Geology and application of remote sensing and GIS in forest cover change in Lebir Forest, Gua Musang

Geology is part of earth science that focus study on how earth process and deform. Mapping of Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) and change detection using remote sensing and GIS techniques is a cost effective method of obtaining a clear understanding of the land cover alteration processes due to land use change and their consequences. The research was conducted in Aring, Gua Musang, Kelantan where the study area covers about 25 km’. The objective of this research project are to produce geological map of the study area in scale 1:25000, to identify and quantify in land use and land cover in 10 years period and to analyse the change of forest cover in Lebir forest. During this research, methodologies involved are geological mapping, petrographic analysis and supervised classification of the Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC) in ERDAS Imagine software. Based on the updated geological map, the rock type found in study area are limestone, tuff and sandstone with presence of some structural geology such as bedding, fold and vein. Satellite image of Landsat 4-5 (TM) of year 2006 and Landsat 8 (OLI and TIRS) of year 2016 are used to characterize land use into four classes (Agriculture Area, Bare Soil, Built-up Area and Forest Area). The result of LULC change indicate agriculture, bare soil and built up area have increased by 18.3%, 1.91% and 1.1% respectively while forest area has decreased by 21.31% over past decade. Most of the forest area has been converted into agriculture area which shows huge exploitation and exploration on forest.