Integrating Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) for Carbon Sequestration Monitoring in Tropical Watershed Danardono (*)- Taryono: M. Syaifuddin Al-Faqih
Land Resources Laboratory, Faculty of Geography, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta
email : danardono[at]ums.ac.id
Abstract
Watershed has a lot of functions related to ecosystem protection. The existence of vegetation in protected forest or other vegetation area in watershed can absorb some carbon from atmosphere through photosyntesis process. In fact, this carbon sequestration potential is declining due to vegetated land conversion phenomena. Therefore, the monitoring of carbon sequestration in watershed area needs to be done. However, it faces a problem due to a large size of watershed area in tropical region, so the carbon sequestration cannot be measured by using field monitoring. By combining remote sensing data and geographic information system (GIS), the potential of carbon sequestration in large watershed can be measured frequently, so the problem can be solved. This research aim to analyze the dynamic change of terrestrial carbon sequestration in Upper Bengawan Solo during 2015 until 2021. In this research, carbon sequestration potential was modelled by using Net Primary Productivity value in Upper Bengawan Solo Watershed. Net Primary Productivity was measured by using CASA method used Landsat 8 OLI Imagery and Meteorological Data from Badan Meteorologi dan Klimatologi (BMKG) Indonesia. The results show that the carbon sequestration in Upper Bengawan Solo during six years decreased. The biggest decreasing happens in sub-urban area surrounded the urban area in Surakarta city. The carbon sequestration decreasing also happens in upper region which has a vegetated area. It indicates that there are environmental change in this watershed during this period due to either physical or human interfere. Meanwhile, by using remote sensing and GIS, the spatial distribution of carbon sequestration change can be known, so it can be used to pinpoint the location which needs to prior attention based on the higher level of this changes. The areas in Upper Bengawan Solo Watershed that have a big change in carbon sequestration are in the northern of Sukoharjo Regency and the steep slopes area in the western of Klaten Regency and the eastern of Wonogiri Regency. This research implies that combining of RS and GIS can help carbon sequestration monitoring more quick and cost-limited.
Keywords: Net Primary Productivity, Carbon Emission, Carbon Sequestration, Watershed
