Synoptic View of Mangrove Forest Through Satellite Images at Machar Colony, Karachi

Pages:7-9
Kanwal Nazim1, Paras Siddiqui2, Qadeer Muhammad Ali1, Muhammad Uzair Khan1, Moinuddin Ahmed3, Rahmatullah Jillani2 and Siraj Munir2 (Marine Reference Collection and Resource Center (MRCC), University of Karachi, Karachi1, Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), Karachi2, Laboratory of Dendrochronology and Plant Ecology, Department of Botany, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan3)

During the past few years, the increasing pressure of anthropogenic activities along the shoreline of Pakistan (i.e. Machar colony) led to the clearing of habitats for the construction of houses and industrial development. In this study Remote Sensing Technique is used to evaluate this loss and assess the change in mangrove habitats within Machar colony. The main objective of the study is to evaluate the impact resulting from human development on the mangrove distribution in the study area. A field work is carried out to observe the actual situation while satellite images are processed on temporal basis to visualize the synoptic view of the situation. Furthermore the physico-chemical analysis of soil and leaves is also carried out to determine the pollution status on the site. Change detection is applied and mangrove in the study area is found a decrease of about 16% from 2006 to 2012. It is concluded that the cutting of mangrove and encroachment are the main factors in destroying mangrove trees from this area. From physio-chemical analysis it was concluded that polluted waste water in this colony nourishing mangrove plants instead of harming while the only factor involved in destroying of mangrove is encroachment.