Assessment of Impact on Landscape Development to Ecological Service Values and Goods in Malaysia Lowland Tropical Rainforest Using Integrated Remote Sensing and Gis Techniques

Amongst the impacts of converting forest to agricultural activities is the degradation of ecology service values and goods (ESVG). Impacts on ESVG can be devastating in environmental, biological, and socio-economics manners. This paper highlights the study undertaken on the impacts of agricultural development in 0.8x10 6 ha of forest dominated landscape in Pasoh Forest Region (PFR), Malaysia, within period of 8 years from 1995 to 2003. Three folds of impacts on agricultural development examined and analysed are: (i) relationship of total soil loss and changes in land use pattern, (ii) mapping trends of ESVG for PFR in 1995 and 2003, and (iii) risk assessment of ESVG based on simulation of converting 339x10 3 ha of primary forest into mass-scale oil palm plantation. Results of this study indicated that although only minor changes of about 1464ha (~0.2% of PFR) of primary forest was converted to agricultural activities, it have significantly increased the total soil loss from 59x10 6 to 69x10 6 t/ha/yr. The mean rate of soil loss within PFR is 0.8x10 6 t/yr, and if translated into ESVG term, costing US$4.8x10 6 /yr. However, majority of the soil loss within all land use classes are within range of very low low risk categories (<10 t/ha/yr). Estimated cost of ESVG for PFR was US$179x10 6 in 1995, declined to US$114x10 6 in 2003 due to 0.2% reduction of forested land. Converting 339x10 3 ha primary forest into mass plantation cost less than original forest within period of 20 years examined; the 20 th year of conversion, the ESVG of plantation and to-remain as forest cost US$963x10 6 and US$575x10 6 , respectively. This difference, however, is only marginal when full 17 attributes of ESVG were considered. ∗ Corresponding Author