Abstract:
Cloud computing is Internet based computing where virtual shared servers provide software,
infrastructure, platform, devices and other resources and hosting to customers on a pay-as-
you use basis. Cloud computing is applicable in remote sensing for environmental resource
management. This research is set to examine Forest Landscape changes in Oluwa forest
reserve using cloud-based spatial data. This project makes use of cloud data to model present
and future forest cover of the reserve using cloud computing technique. This study
demonstrates the role of cloud computing as a method of identifying forest landscape types
based on simulated land cover using spatial data and forecast of future land cover pattern in
Oluwa forest reserve. The classical method of determining forest cover is time consuming
and tedious. The cloud computing technique for determining forest cover changes using
Google Earth offers a quicker and less tedious method for determining forest cover changes.
In the results, it was observed that there appeared to be a negative change in forest land
between 1988 and 2018 with higher rate of change between 1998 and 2008. The secondary
forest increased over the years also with higher rate of change between 1998 and 2008 (about
6.5% increase) as against about 1.8% decrease, between 2008 and 2018. There was a general
increase in non-forest area between 1988 and 2018. The non-forest area increased by 1.48%
between 1998 and 2008, and the period between 1988 and 2008 witnessed 3.93% increase.
This is not evident in the changes observed in the forest areas between 1988 and 2008. This shows that loss of forest to human activities occurred most in recent years.
