Analyzing Forest Change Dynamics in Northwestern Vietnam: A Remote Sensing and Landscape Metrics Approach

Land-cover change, particularly habitat loss and fragmentation, poses significant threats to ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation. In the context of northwestern Vietnam, major land-cover changes occurred in the late 20th century, but their impacts on forests have not been quantified comprehensively. This study aimed to address this gap by selecting an appropriate landscape metric index for monitoring forest fragmentation and characterizing forest transitions over time, focusing on the case study in Muong La district, Son La Province, from 1990 to 2018. The study utilized satellite images and an aggregation metric at the class level to detect land-cover change and examine forest distribution patterns over the specified period. The results revealed a significant decrease in forested areas in Muong La, with forest cover declining from 77% to 64%. The main drivers of forest loss were identified as the expansion of agricultural land and the construction of the Son La Dam water reservoir. The analysis of forest transitions indicated that forest areas in Muong La became more isolated and less compact from 1990 to 2008. However, by 2018, there was a trend towards increased aggregation of forested areas. These findings provide valuable insights into the dynamics of forest fragmentation and highlight the importance of monitoring and understanding such changes over time. The research results contribute to identifying the most threatened forested areas and informing prioritization efforts for natural conservation and land-use planning by the local government. By utilizing the selected landscape metric index and analyzing forest transitions, this study provides a technique for assessing the extent and location of forest threats, supporting targeted conservation efforts and sustainable land management practices.