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IAPRS & SIS, Vol.34, Part 7, *Resource and Environmental Monitoring", Hyderabad, India, 2002 
and its degree of severity are delineated on the map. Slight, 
moderate and Severe categories of vegetal degradation are 
delineated on the basis of percentage of crown cover, climax of 
plant community, decrease of total plant cover and loss of 
forage (grasses). Salinity is denoted as slight when it supports 
two crops, as moderate if it supports only one crop (kharif) and 
as severe when it does not support any crop. (Table 1) 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Socio economic Multidate Ancillary 
Profile Satellite data data & Map 
Thematic Maps Base Map 
Indicators 
Preliminary Desertification 
Status Map 
Ground truth / 
Field sampling 
Final Desertification 
Status Map 
Integration 
L—————— 
  
  
  
  
Local knowledge / 
People's Participation 
  
  
  
  
  
Mitigation Plan 
  
  
  
Fig. 1 Methodology for Desertificaiton Status mapping / 
Mitigation Plan using Satellite data 
Salinization | Crops Two One No i 
Supported* crops crop crops 
(Kharif) 
pH @ <8.5 8.5 >8.5 
Soil salinity | 4-8 8-30 >30 
Ecein ds/m (à) 
Salinity of | 3-6 6-10 10-30 
ground water 
g/litre (a) 
  
Loss of yield | « 25 25-50 «50 
of main crop (à) 
  
  
  
Soil residue, % | 0.20 — | 0.40- > 0.60 
@ 0.40 0.60 
Salinity of 1 0.52 11.07 4 >15 
irrigated water | 1.0 1.5 
  
  
  
  
g/litre @ 
  
  
  
* Amenable to Remote Sensing 
@ Amenable to Conventional Survey 
4. DATA USED 
The multi- temporal satellite data of October 1999 and May 
2000 of IRS-1D LISS-3 and ancillary information has been 
used for desertification status mapping. 
5. RESULTS & DISCUSSION 
The results obtained through visual analysis reveal that 61.87 
percent of area of the watershed is under forest land of which 
25.62 percent of area is under slight, 20.31 percent under 
moderate and 9.38 percent as severe categories of vegetal 
degradation (Table 2). Land with scrub covers 30.63 percent of 
total area affected by vegetal degradation. Thus 86 percent area 
of the micro-watershed is predominantly affected by vegetal 
degradation and 8 percent of the area lies under agriculture- 
irrigated and affected by salinity (Fig. 2). 
Table 2: Area under various Land Use/ Land Cover 
classes/Processes of degradation/Degree of severity 
  
  
Table 1: Desertification Status Mapping: Parameters amenable 
to Remote Sensing and Conventional Survey 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Process of | Desertification Degree of severity 
Degradation Indicators 
Slight | Moder | Severe 
ate 
| Vegetal % of Crown | 40-20 | 20-10 | <10 
) degradation Cover* 
Plant Climax | Long Ephem 
) community (à) lasting | eral 
second | second 
ary ary 
% of climax | >75 75-25 <25 
species (a) 
Decrease of | «25 25-75 >75 
total plant 
cover, % @ 
Loss of forage | <25 25-75 >75 
(grasses) % 
@ 
Land use | Process | Symbol | Degree of | Area % 
/ Land of severity (sq. total 
cover Degrad km) area 
ation 
Forest Vegetal | NA Not 10.50 | 06.56 
Apparent 
Fvl Slight 41.00 | 25.62 
Fv2 Moderate | 32.50 | 20.31 
Fv3 Severe 15.00 | 09.38 
Agricultu | Saliniza | Isl Slight 08.50 | 05.31 
re- tion 
Irrigated 
Is2 Moderate | 03.50 | 02.18 
Land Vegetal | Svl Slight 22.00 | 13.76 
with 
Scrub 
Sv2 Moderate | 12.00 | 07.50 
Sv3 Severe 15.00 | 09.38 
Total | 160.0 | 100.0 
  
  
  
  
  
771 
Fig. 2: DESERTIFICATION STATUS MAP KATHUA 
MICRO WATERSHED, KATHUA DISTRICT (J & K)